CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
July 2007
Implementation Investments
Airflow Simulation Ensures +/- 1º F Temperature Range in Pharmaceutical Warehouse Preserving Life-Saving Drugs
Flomerics' consultants used their Flovent software to evaluate design alternatives which helped Eichleay Engineers Inc. of California design an air handling system that keeps temperatures in a pharmaceutical warehouse within +/- 1º F. Flomerics' consultants evaluated design alternatives and identified a fan configuration that met the pharmaceutical company´s requirements for both temperature variation and air velocity. "The HVAC system has been in operation for over a year and the temperatures in the warehouse have never been outside the customer´s specified range," said Michael Simpson, Mechanical Engineer for Eichleay Engineers.
A pharmaceutical warehouse contains 49,200 square feet of warehouse storage space and has a roof height that varies from 25 to 28 feet. In order to maximize the life of the product stored in the facility the client established a requirement that the temperature throughout the entire interior space be held between 67º F and 74º F and at less than 50% relative humidity. "We began the project by using standard computer calculations to design an HVAC system that was capable of keeping the temperature in the building at the required level," Simpson said. "This system could get us to the right average temperature but left us with very little safety margin."
"We called the two leading software companies in the HVAC CFD industry. We knew that they both offered people with extensive experience in air flow simulation modeling. One of the companies told us that we would have to wait several weeks before they could even take a look at our problem. On the other hand, Flomerics told us they would be there the next day to give us an estimate and get started on our project." Flomerics' consultant Chris Wark simulated the existing building and several alternatives using different types of fans. He found that the addition of 50 Airius destratification fans reduced the temperature variation within the building to a +/- 1º F level.
The building's HVAC control system was designed to issue an alert to plant operating personnel whenever temperatures in the space fall outside a +/- 3.5 º F limit from setpoint. "The new HVAC system has been up and running for about 18 months and since then, the temperature alarms have not shown any excursions," Simpson said. "Most importantly, the customer is extremely pleased that the building has met their requirements." For more information, visit Flomerics' Web site at http://www.flovent.com
Become a member of the CIMdata PLM Community to receive your daily PLM news and much more.
Tell us what you think of the CIMdata Newsletter. Send your feedback.
CIMdata is committed to your privacy. Your personal information will never be sold or shared outside of CIMdata without your express permission.