Thermal Fluids Engineer
Project Manager &
Thermal Fluids Engineer
Design/CAD Engineer
Quality Control/
Test Engineer
Businesses and individuals use Danfoss Turbocor’s compressors in varying climate conditions worldwide. Danfoss is searching for a way to test their compressors in different climate conditions. We have partnered with Danfoss to create a climate-controlled test chamber for their compressors. Our goal is to create a design that will simulate real-world climates by controlling the temperature and humidity within the test chamber.
We are creating a climate addition for a new compressor stand received by Danfoss. The enclosed test stand contains a mounting space where the compressor is connected. The rest of the test chamber is for refrigerant piping to supply the compressor during testing. We are isolating the compressor from the rest of the enclosure to reduce the overall controlled volume. A refrigerant-based cooling supplier, air handling unit, humidifier, and heater supply the climate conditions inside the chamber. The air handling unit consists of a heat exchanger and a fan. Ducts connect from the air handling unit to the top of the chamber. The ducts will supply conditioned air to the inside the chamber. Our design provides a temperature range from 50 to 130℉ and relative humidity levels from 10% to 95%. This design works like your home air-conditioning.
Temperature and humidity recording sensors are placed inside the chamber. The sensors will control the fan, humidifier, and heater. The sensors will also display the climate conditions inside the chamber. Recording of the climate conditions ensures accuracy.
We performed a heat balance analysis on the design to size the heating and cooling components. This ensures the chamber will reach the needed climate conditions in 15 minutes or less. Our design and decision making has led to a useful addition for Danfoss’s research and development team.
Project Description
The objective of this project is to perform a heat balance analysis on the environment-controlled test stand chamber that was designed by the FAMU-FSU COE Class of 2020 Senior Design Team. This analysis will identify if the equipment specified and sourced from last year's project will meet the climatic control conditions; especially at the specification boundaries. A physical prototype of the test chamber will be assembled at Danfoss Turbocor R&D Lab Facility in Innovation Park such that it can be controlled to reach a stable, specified environment within the test chamber.
Key Goals
The desired goals of this project are oriented towards improving and validating the previous team’s design. These goals include conducting a thorough heat balance analysis, modifying and finalizing the specifications and sourcing of the software and hardware, achieving stable and specified test conditions, and assembling the test chamber. These project goals were chosen because they create quantifiable measures to gauge project advancement, while staying within the project scope.
Market(s)
The primary markets of this project are end users of environmentally controlled test chambers. More specifically, Danfoss Turbocor Compressors Inc is the primary market for this specific design as they directly benefit from it. Secondary markets would include any company or individual that requires the use of an environmentally controlled test chamber. This includes other compressor manufacturing companies, sensitive material laboratories, storage companies, and environmentally regulated medicinal storage.
Assumptions
Some assumptions were made during this project to maintain focus within the project scope. It is assumed that cleaning services are provided and that the design will rest on a flat surface. It is also assumed that the user will return the tools to their specified location after use. Access to 110V through power outlets is also assumed. It is assumed that the compressor model remains the same. Access to machining services are also assumed. These assumptions allow for focus solely on the content and challenges of this project scope.
Several questions are asked to the customer, or sponsor, in order to obtain a responding statement that can be analyzed and interpreted. The outcome from interpreting their response is the interpreted need which is what the engineer uses to start their design.
Since the current sponsor has been unable to meet with our team, these customer needs were either sourced from the evidence manual created by last year’s team or created using the given project definition document supplied by Danfoss with their project objectives and expectations. The customer is interested in continuing the project from last year. Testing and simulation are necessary to prove that the work performed by last year’s team is accurate and that the materials and assembly necessary will meet the criteria set by Danfoss. Any faults in the selected equipment, design, or assembly of the system are expected to be fixed. This ensures that at the end of this project, there will be a functioning test chamber that meets the temperature and humidity criteria at the Danfoss facility. Table 1 below display the question asked, the customers response, and the respective interpreted need.
| Questions Asked | Customer Statement | Interpreted Needs |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Conduct a thorough heat balance analysis of the complete climatic chamber and document the findings in a report. | Conduct a heat balance analysis of the chamber and with the documented findings, determine if the equipment specified from last year's group is sufficient to meet climate conditions. |
| What are the dimensions of the compressor(s) being tested? | The rig that was measured is 50L x 40W x 28H (H is to where the rig stop) in inches. | The design accommodates two compressor models of the same dimensions inside the chamber. |
| Are there any pressure specifications or concerns within the test chamber? | We do not have any pressure requirements for the test chamber. | Free reign of determining pressure boundaries. |
| N/A | The estimated material cost is $5,000. | Most of the materials will be provided by the previous teams' order. |
| N/A | Finalize the specification and sourcing of all hardware and controls. |
If any of the hardware specified from last year’s project is insufficient, new parts that are sufficient will replace them to create a final itemized bill of materials. |
| Are we assembling the system? | Assemble and commission the test chamber at Danfoss Turbocor R&D Lab Facility in Innovation Park. | N/A |
| N/A | Demonstrate fundamental 6-sigma methods of problem-solving in one or more project challenges. | Document how 6 sigma methods were used in at least one of the project challenges. |
| How do they switch the compressor on the testing rig? | We need to deposit the compressor into the chamber from above with our overhead crane. | The chamber’s dimensions provide sufficient clearance for the overhead crane. |
Discussion and development of design targets and metrics are a necessary step in any design. These targets and metrics are derived from the required function of the system being designed. The metric of a system is described as how you plan to validate a function. This could consist of things such as size, temperature, weight, etc. These metrics are then further defined using targets, the specific value used to design around. The targets and metrics for the Danfoss Environmentally Controlled Test Chamber were created and listed in the table above
created with
Website Builder Software .
