Mechanical Systems Existing Conditions Evaluation Presented on Page 1 of 16
Table of Contents Executive Summary Depth p.3 Executive Summary Breadth p.4 Introduction & Background p.5 Alternatives p.7 Breadth Area Proposal Alternatives p.10 p.12 Conclusion p.14 References p.15 Schedule p.16 Page 2 of 16
Executive Summary Depth The proposed redesign for the F.W. Olin Physical Science Lab includes a study of the current mechanical system and the possible introduction of desiccant dehumidification into the system. Because this building is considered a lab, special precautions must be taken to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals emitted into the air. I will also conduct a study on the amount of chemical emissions that are being exhausted from the fume hoods throughout the building. The Olin Science Lab is located in Melbourne, Florida on the s campus. The dry bulb and mean wet bulb temperatures for Melbourne are 93/79 with a humidity ratio of 155 grains of moisture per pound of dry air. This equates to about 55% relative humidity. Several bodies of water surround Melbourne including the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River. With that added condition, along with the hot climate, I feel that Desiccant Dehumidification would be a perfect option for this building. Since the Olin Science Lab is used to conduct experiments with harmful chemicals, fume hood were installed controlled by Phoenix Control Valves. I would like to conduct further research on the amount of chemical gas that actually is exhausted into the ozone from the exhaust vents. My research will include finding the amount of gases that Florida allows by code to be Page 3 of 16
released into the air, finding if the Olin lab complies and further researching ways to lessen the harmful gases exhaustion if the lab does not comply. Executive Summary Breadth My areas of breadth research are going to be in the electrical and lighting design areas. Adding a desiccant dehumidification system could possibly change my electrical system, therefore, a study will be completed. My hopes are that, with the reduction of energy consumption in my mechanical redesign, the electrical system that is currently in the building will be reduced. This will save in both space and money. I will also try to incorporate daylighting into the office spaces located throughout the building, hopefully reducing the amount of energy required by the chiller plant to be produced. Using light shelves and/or overhangs, the building will be able to collect the sun s energy and help to reduce the cost of electric that is used for the building, in turn, reducing the size of the electrical system, the first cost of the system and the operating cost. Page 4 of 16
Introduction and Background The F.W. Olin Physical Science Lab is located in Melbourne, Florida. Owned by the Florida Institute of Technology, the lab was built so that students and faculty could have a place to perform their experimentations and do research. Funding for the building was gained from the F.W. Olin Foundation, as was the Engineering Building next to it. The total cost of the building was $14 million. The Olin Science Lab is approximately 69348 square feet. The fourth floor houses an observatory with a pre engineered domed one meter telescope. On the rest of the three floors, 25 chemical and physical science labs can be found equipped with fume hoods. These fume hoods are controlled by Phoenix Control Valves and help to prevent the escape of harmful chemicals into the laboratory space. As mentioned above, the Olin Physical Science Lab is owned by the Florida Institute of Technology. Listed below are the other prime players involved in the development of the Olin Lab. General Contractor: The Weitz Company, Inc. Architects: Schwab, Twitty & Hanser Landscape Architects: Hall & Bell MEP Firm: TLC Engineering for Architecture Structural Engineers: O Donnell, Naccarato, Mignogna & Jackson, Inc. Civil/Surveyor Engineers: Baskerville Donovan, Inc. Geotechnical Group: Ardaman & Assoc. Page 5 of 16
Because of code, the Lab Building is a cast in place concrete structure with a brick veneer. The exterior wall is made of CMUs with cement plaster. The domed telescope makes the building stand out from the rest of the engineering and science buildings surrounding the Olin Lab. On the first thru third floors of the Olin Lab, there are mechanical rooms at the far ends of each corridor that house a total of 8 Air Handling Units, three on the first and third floors and two on the second floor. Below you will find a table with the data for each of the AHUs. Along with the mechanical equipment in the building, there is also a chiller building that houses the following equipment: - (2) 1200 GPM roof mounted Marley Cooling Towers - (2) 400 ton water cooled chillers - (2) Primary Chilled Water Pumps - (2) Secondary Chilled Water Pumps - (2) Condenser Water Pumps - (1) Gas fired, hot water boiler at 4500 MBH - (2) Hot Water Pumps - (2) Secondary Hot Water Pumps Page 6 of 16
Alternatives I have considered a few options for the redesign of the F.W. Olin Physical Science Lab. The alternatives are as follows: Alternative #1: Desiccant Dehumidification Currently, the mechanical system does not have any desiccant dehumidification. With the amount of humidity and the warm climate that occurs in Florida all year, desiccant dehumidification would be a perfect fit. I will analyze my building and change the mechanical system to include a desiccant wheel. My hope is that adding the wheel helps to reduce the energy used in the building, while also lowering the first cost of the mechanical system. I plan to do extensive research on desiccant wheels and their applications. I also plan to research the possibility of replacing some of my air handling units with a humidity control unit, again hopefully proving to be cost effective. Alternative #2: Chiller Plant Optimization and Thermal Energy Storage In a recent class final project, I discovered that I could save about 173000 kbtu of energy consumption by replacing my chillers. Currently being installed into the Olin Science Lab s chiller building are two centrifugal chillers. After researching and analyzing several options, I found out that replacing my centrifugal chillers with reciprocating chillers will save more than Page 7 of 16
173000 kbtu of energy consumption per year. With this in mind, I will analyze my chiller plant and attempt to optimize it for the best energy performance. In doing so, if I can save that much energy from being consumed, I will consider thermal energy storage. The excess energy can then be reused and stored in tanks. This will hopefully reduce the cost of the energy. Alternative #3: DOAS Radiant Panels While my building is in Florida, it might be the optimal location for DOAS radiant panels. The Olin Science Lab is currently equipped with five 100% outdoor air units. A certain amount of ventilation is necessary in a lab as it is in any space. I would like to consider changing the remaining three units to 100% outdoor air units. This would get rid of the VAV boxes that are currently being installed in the ductwork. It will also help to reduce the amount of ductwork that is need. I will be able to replace the return duct with a plenum, therefore saving money for the cost of the sheet metal used in the production of ducts. If the cost for the removed return ductwork offsets the cost of the radiant panels, I would then recommend converting the building to a 100% outdoor air building with DOAS radiant panels. Page 8 of 16
Alternative #4: An Above Alternative with the Addition of a Study on the Chemical Emissions Exhausted from the Fume Hoods As another portion of my thesis, I would like to examine the amount of chemical emissions that are actually being released into the ozone from the exhaust system and the Phoenix Control Valves. As I will show, Phoenix Control Valves are top of the line when it comes to keeping the harmful gases inside the fume hood. What I would like to research is the way they handle releasing all that harmful gas into the air. I plan on doing research to find the amount of CO2 that is allowed to be released into the air by code in the state of Florida. I will then test to see if the Olin Science Lab meets that criterion. If it does not, I will offer a redesign of the exhaust system with better filters to hopefully lessen their chance of being fined. Coupling this with Alternative #1, #2 or #3 will prove to be an interesting thesis. Page 9 of 16
Breadth Area Proposal Alternatives As with my depth area of research, I have been considering a few options for my breadth area. They are also as follows: Breadth Alternative #1: Electrical Analysis and Redesign My redesign of the mechanical system might prove to save some energy and hopefully, lessen the amount of electricity needed to run the building. As part of my breadth studies, I will conduct research on the electrical system of the building and how I can redesign it to be more cost effective and save space and energy. Breadth Alternative #2: Daylighting Another area that I would like to study for my breadth is the option of daylighting. There are several office spaces throughout the three floors of classroom space. Since Florida is the Sunshine State, I will conduct research on the amount of energy that can be collected through daylighting. Two of the options I will be looking at are light shelves and window overhangs. This option would tie in great with whichever mechanical option I choose because the effects of the daylighting redesign might be shown in the building envelope load. Page 10 of 16
Breadth Alternative #3: Structural Analysis and Redesign Since there is a possibility that I will be changing one or more of my air handling units, placing them on the roof might be the best option. Currently, there are no roof mounted air handling units on the F.W. Olin Physical Science Lab (as mentioned before, there are roof mounted cooling towers on the Chiller Building). With this in mind, some space could be saved by offering the option of rooftop units with chases for the ductwork to run between floors and down from the roof. Page 11 of 16
After considering all the options for my thesis proposal, I have decided that the most interesting and challenging will be the last alternative, Alternative #4. Coupled with the chemical emissions testing, I will choose to redesign the F.W. Olin Physical Science Lab using Desiccant Dehumidification (Alternative #1). This option seems to be the most fitting for the environment that the building is in: constantly warm and humid climate. For my breadth areas, I proposed to do a study on the electrical systems and analyze the option of daylighting (Alternatives #1 and #2). I opted not to do Alternative #3 because of the observatory level that is located on the fourth floor. The observatory level is an open space and in order to run chases down from the roof, it might interfere with the look of the space, not to mention the positioning of the future telescopes that FIT plans to add. I feel that this work is justifiable because, along with cutting operating costs, energy consumption will be reduced as well as providing more comfort for students in the humid environment of Florida. As tools for my research, I will use HAP to analyze the different systems that I am using in my redesign. This will help to establish if my energy consumption load has decreased along with Page 12 of 16
the decrease in the energy cost. Another tool I plan to use is basic hand calculations with reference to ASHRAE Fundamentals and loads for calculation provided in Chapter 29. I understand the difficulty of both of these methods. Hand calculations tend to take a long time and are even longer to record in an electronic way. A HAP analysis also takes a long time to complete, especially with all the data that will be input because of the size and use of my building. If there are any limitations, it will be due to the fact that the building is still under construction. The mechanical equipment schedules that I have are the most current and are being used to buy the equipment, but addendums might have been made or a different manufacturer might have been chosen. In any case, I will use the most recent and most accurate information that I have in my possession. I feel that this thesis problem will prove to be both challenging and suitable to fulfill the requirements necessary to complete AE 482. Page 13 of 16
Conclusion As stated above in my thesis proposal, I plan on doing a redesign of the Olin Lab using desiccant dehumidification. I will also conduct a study on the chemical emissions that the Phoenix Control Valves are exhausting into the ozone to see if they meet the standards set by the Florida Building Code. In addition to the areas for my depth research, I will also be analyzing the electrical system in the building and how my new redesign affects it. I will also be completing a study on the affects of daylighting in the office spaces and how they can potentially conserve some energy in the building. Page 14 of 16
References Air Movement & Control Association (AMCA). 2004. Independent Control of Humidity, Temperature in New Compact, Packaged Design. A Supplement of Engineered Systems: pg. 16 AMCA. 2004. Desiccant Dehumidification Systems Resolve Mold Issues at School. A Supplement of Engineered Systems: pg. 10 AMCA. 2004. Lion s Choice Restaurants Restore Comfort by Combining Dehumidification with A/C. A Supplement of Engineered Systems: pg. 12 14 AMCA. 2004. H20 Liquidaire System Captures Water from Air. A Supplement of Engineered Systems: pg. 8 Fischer, J. 2000. Active Desiccant Based Preconditioning Market Analysis and Product Development. SEMCO, Inc. Freihaut, J. 2004. Technical Consultation. West, M. 2004. Specifying Desiccant Dehumidifiers. HPAC Engineering. Page 15 of 16
Schedule for Proposed Work: Spring Semester Page 16 of 16
General Research Research on Desiccant Dehumidification Faculty Consultations Simulation/Analysis of Desiccant Wheel Addition Cost Analysis Research for Chemical Emissions Testing Performing Chemical Emissions Testing Redesign of Exhaust System (if code not met) Cost Analysis for Redesign Redesign of Mech. System (Desiccant Wheel Addition) Breadth Work (Electrical) Cost Analysis Breadth Work (Daylighting) Cost Analysis Total Evaluation of the Building Total Cost Analysis of Building Feasibility of Analysis Final Faculty Consultation Writing Report Prepare Presenation Presentation January February March April 10 to 16 17 to 23 24 to 30 Jan 31 to 6 7 to 13 14 to 20 21 to 27 Feb 28 to 6 7 to 13 14 to 20 20 to 27 28 to Apr 3 4 to 11 11 to 17 S P R I N G B R E A K