Jerman Cheung
East Asia Press Office,Hong Kong
Arup-designed Air Induction Unit (AIU) has won the Grand prize at the Hong Kong Awards for Industries (HKAI): Innovation and Creativity.
Championed by the Government, the HKAI aims to recognise the outstanding achievements of Hong Kong enterprises in pursuit of high technology and high value-added activities, and to commend excellence in various aspects of their performance.
AIU is a bladeless fan developed for semi-outdoor environment. Using aerodynamic principles, the AIU can induce continuous large volume air flows with gentle wind speeds to improve thermal comfort. Extensive engineering investigation and computational fluid dynamic analyses were conducted to optimise the performance of design. Compared with traditional industrial fans, AIU is quieter, more energy-efficient and has a larger coverage area. With no blades or other detachable parts, it is safe in operation and easy to clean and maintain. Its simple and modern appearance also makes it suitable for any environment. Patent application is currently being filed.