Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to Enhance Energy Efficiency in Laboratories at Cornell University
Andrew Straub, M/E Engineering, P.C.
W.S. (Lanny) Joyce, Cornell University
In the Finger Lakes region of New York State, the indigenous peoples (the Haudenosaunee, better known as the Iroquois) lived by a principle that we can learn from today: "In every decision, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation." Similarly, Cornell University has made it a mandate to pursue a strategy of sustainability in all it does for the good of the university and the planet.
Because Cornell University is so large—about 14 million square feet of indoor space across 250 campus buildings—even small changes can have a noticeable effect on energy consumption. Not surprisingly, there are many energy-hungry laboratory spaces on campus that were built anywhere from the mid-20th century to today. Together, these laboratories are often the single largest consumer of energy on campus and have presented Cornell with significant opportunities to improve efficiency and sustainability. For instance, aggressive campus energy efficiency and conservation efforts since 2001 have reduced energy use by 5 percent despite significant physical campus growth. As for its carbon footprint, Cornell has reduced carbon dioxide emissions through energy efficiency by 50,000 tons per year between 1980 and 2000.
The next generation of energy efficiency improvement tools is now being utilized by the university to develop even greater sustainable designs. The primary predictive tool is CFD, which is used to evaluate existing ventilation designs in laboratories at a range of flow rates with various air distribution methods. Models, testing, and practical experience have shown that simple room air change mandates can be wasteful of energy because safety and energy efficiency is more a function of good ventilation distribution than of the number of air changes. We have found that simply decreasing the air change rates is not always a viable option. The airflow effectiveness must be evaluated to ensure general laboratory safety is maintained, while also enhancing the efficiency of the air being distributed throughout the laboratory space.
In this presentation, we will discuss several case studies where CFD was employed in laboratories at Cornell University to identify significant, yet simple, opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
Biographies:
Andrew C. Straub is a project engineer in the Rochester, New York office of M/E Engineering. Mr. Straub has been employed at M/E Engineering since the fall of 2006. He is charged with the creation and solution of CFD models as they relate to the building industry, indoor air quality and environmental impacts of stack discharges. His particular expertise includes laboratory settings, wind dispersion modeling and other HVAC applications that require the accurate evaluation airflow, heat transfer and/or species transport. Mr. Straub holds a Bachelors of Science in electrical engineering from Union College in Schenectady, New York.
William S. (Lanny) Joyce, P.E., CEM, is manager of engineering, planning, and energy management in the Utilities and Energy Management Department at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Mr. Joyce is currently managing central energy plant engineering and planning, as well as leading the university's energy management program. Mr. Joyce is also the project director of the Cornell Combined Heat and Power Project and a member of the Presidents Climate Commitment Implementation Committee (PCCIC). The conservation program is highlighted by the campus Energy Conservation Initiative that aims to reduce year 2000 campus energy use 20 percent by 2015 as part of an overall strategy to cost effectively strive toward a Kyoto compliance goal in reduction of resultant greenhouse gas emissions. Savings since 2000 are approximately 10 percent and $7 million annually. Before the PCCIC, Mr. Joyce lead the campus Kyoto Task Team from 2001 to 2008. Mr. Joyce was project manager for the Lake Source Cooling project, an innovative and award winning project that is currently providing all of the chilled water production on the Cornell campus utilizing a renewable resource and 86 percent less energy. Since 1984, Mr. Joyce has provided leadership for over $170 million in central plant and building energy projects at Cornell. Mr. Joyce has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Cornell and is a member of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), Association of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).