New Applications in Laboratories with Common Technologies
Sean Convery, Cator, Ruma & Associates, Co.
For this presentation, the speakers will focus on three specific methodologies to improve laboratory energy efficiencies and operational characteristics, which will contribute to improving the overall HVAC system efficiency.
The first method is to use a wind consultant to model the building in a wind tunnel to optimize the exhaust stack locations and heights, fresh air intake location, exhaust air discharge locations, and minimum and maximum velocity of the VAV laboratory air exhaust system. Many current laboratories are built with exhaust systems that incorporate high dilution fans at constant volume using make-up air at the fan to compensate for the VAV exhaust, thereby not capturing the fan horsepower savings by not allowing the speed to reduce. Optimizing the minimum VAV setting in the wind tunnel allows for a true VAV exhaust system.
The second approach to innovative laboratory design revolves around minimizing air pressure drop on heat recovery systems. This can be accomplished by avoiding the typical run-around heat recovery system and using a heat recovery heat pump that rejects the heat to the heating system rather than the air-handling unit. This provides heat for the reheat system, which operates year-round in most laboratories, whereas a conventional run-around loop has to shut off between 45°F and 85°F outdoor air temperature. Also, the exhaust coil for the heat pump system can be a four-row coil in lieu of the six- or eight-row coil normally found in a run-around system, reducing the pressure drop from 0.7 to 0.4 inches on a typical system.
The final method the speakers will present is point of use cooling at high heat rejecting laboratory equipment, rather than high air change rates for areas that are equipment (load) driven. Laboratory designs are moving toward putting the high heat gain equipment (freezers, etc.) into equipment/freezer rooms or linear equipment rooms. Using re-circulated air from fan-coil units or other point cooling devices will reduce/remove exhaust air in the building, which saves fan energy, cooling energy, and heating energy since these spaces are constantly cooled.
Biography:
Sean T. Convery joined Cator, Ruma & Associates, Co., a mechanical/electrical engineering consulting engineering firm of 80 persons, in 1995, and worked his way from a graduate entry-level engineer to a senior associate in the mechanical department. He has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and is a professional engineer in Colorado. Mr. Convery has a broad array of experience in the design of mechanical systems focusing on higher education campuses, wet and dry research laboratories, utility and service infrastructure upgrades, and central plants. He has an extensive successful relationship with Colorado State University, having completed over 65 projects, the majority of them laboratories including Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories. Laboratories at Colorado State University include the BioEnvironmental Hazards Research Laboratory, the Rocky Mountain Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, and the Veterinary Diagnostic Medicine Center, all containing BSL-3 laboratories. More recent laboratories include the Colorado State University Research Innovation Center (LEED® Gold pending), Front Range Community College Sunlight Peak Science Building (LEED Gold pending), University of Colorado Boulder Systems Biotechnology Building (LEED Gold pending), and University of Colorado Denver Research Complex Energy Efficiency Upgrades. Mr. Convery has also received Engineering Excellence Awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies in Colorado for his award-winning designs at complex laboratory campuses. In 2002, he was a spokesman at an ASHRAE Engineers' Technical Conference in Denver regarding the BioEnvironmental Hazards Research Laboratory.