Design of an Environmental Control System for Composites Innovation Centre’s FibreCITY Lab

Abstract

The final design report presents the humidity control system that team 3 has developed for Composites Innovation Centre(CIC) to regulate the humidity within their FibreCITY laboratory. Humidity control within the lab will enable FibreCITY to conduct standardized tensile testing on a variety of biofibre materials that are affected by ambient environmental conditions. CIC requires that the biofibres be conditioned and tested at 21±1°C,and at either 50 or 65±5% relative humidity (RH), depending on the material being tested. Moreover, CIC has already outfitted the laboratory with a forced air HVAC system to regulate the lab temperature; however, the system is currently unable to regulate the humidity. Our team was therefore tasked to develop a humidity control system that would be able to regulate the humidity within the FibreCITY lab. The final design report (FDR) is the third and final written submission for the design of the humidity control system for the FibreCITY lab at CIC. This report outlines the project background, project needs and specifications, conceptual selection process, and concludes with the details of the final design. As a supplement to the final design, the report also includes an engineering drawing, a failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), and a detailed cost analysis and economic evaluation which assesses the economic feasibility of implementing the final design. The final design features a Nortec NH-EL in-duct steam humidifier, along with a ConnectSense CS-TH wireless temperature and humidity sensor, and three humidifier controllers. Additionally, the humidification device is coupled with an upgraded airtight GridLock ceiling system and improvements to existing door seals. Furthermore, the existing HVAC system will be modified to draw air from the CIC office space rather than simply recirculating the air within the FibreCITY lab, as is the current practice. In order to balance the fresh air intake, a new Greenheck AC-200 exhaust fan will be added to vent the lab air outside the CIC building. Incorporating the aforementioned components will allow CIC to regulate the humidity within the lab to 50 or 65% RH with a +/-5% RH tolerance, resolve the current issue of inadequate air recirculation, and provide […]