Proof provided

Technical monitoring at the Borstel research centre.

The scope of services of M&P

  • Development of a functional matrix for ventilation systems in two safety laboratories
  • Testing of the operating principle through technical monitoring of all operating scenarios
  • Construction of a control cabinet; evaluation of the system technology via LTE connection in the M&P network
  • Implementation of Synavision software for functional tests on HVAC systems under real conditions

Two new safety laboratories are due to work with mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis, among other health problems. During the planning phase, M&P developed a functional matrix for the ventilation systems – and played out possible operating scenarios by means of technical monitoring. The testing of the operating principle allows everyone involved to breathe easily: the systems maintain the demanding laboratory conditions even in the event of fire – and prevent pathogens from reaching the outside via the exhaust air.

The National Reference Centre for Mycobacteria is currently being established at the Borstel research centre, the lung research centre of the Leibniz Association.

An important pillar for the operation of the safety laboratories are two redundant ventilation systems. These are intended to permanently supply the laboratories with external air and safely dissipate air from the internal space into the outdoor environment via highly efficient filters.

 

Just in case: functional matrix for an optimum laboratory climate at all times

The operation of these HVAC systems is subject to special requirements. Even under critical conditions, it must be ensured that the laboratories are constantly under negative pressure compared to the atmosphere and that room air is discharged exclusively via the highly efficient filter units. To ensure that as many scenarios as possible can be tested before regular operation, an extensive function matrix was created in the planning phase. Within this matrix, the M&P experts defined various operating states, such as a case of fire in one of the laboratories, and the resulting effects on the plant technology. Every possible case was thoroughly investigated and discussed. Having analysed all the case studies, the M&P team is now of the opinion that the negative pressure can be maintained continuously.

 

M&P works quickly

In the course of the project, our experts set up their own small control cabinet. Its gateway reads the data points of the system technology via an interface to the local building automation. Via an LTE connection, the data is transferred to the internal M&P network, which allows us to evaluate it remotely. This means our team does not have to be permanently on-site to carry out construction site inspections, but can save time by doing so from their desks. Nevertheless, we are present: regular contact with the commissioning engineer remains an absolute necessity. On the one hand, they must document the triggering times exactly, on the other hand, the evaluations are of interest for the finishing work on the construction site.

 

Further tests under real conditions

Better safe than sorry: in the course of commissioning, all scenarios listed in the functional matrix are tested on the real HVAC systems. To evaluate the tests, we use software from Synavision for what is known as the operating principle test: the software creates a table for each scenario that lists the target state of all system components involved. Depending on the scenario, the test can involve up to 170 data points. By using the software, we save a lot of legwork in the building – as a rule, the correct positioning of each individual system component must be checked.

The prerequisite for a meaningful operating principle test is that the M&C technology records as many data points as possible. These mainly include end position reports, switching commands and control signals. At the end, a table is generated that compares the actual state with the target state and displays the result either in green (target state = actual state) or in red (target state ≠ actual state). This makes it possible to evaluate many scenarios in the shortest possible time. In addition, it is possible to reuse tables that have already been generated during a periodic inspection of the HVAC systems. This reduces the test cycle, downtime in the laboratories and careless errors.