POSTED 01/21/2022
CNF community,
As you are aware the CNF cleanroom will be shut down from February 14th to April 19, 2022 in order to rebuild the main air handler unit and replace the HEPA filters in the lab. This project was originally scheduled for the 2021 -2022 holiday break to reduce cleanroom down time but due to supply chain issues the scheduled start date was delayed.
The main purpose of this “Cleanroom HVAC Rehabilitation Project” is to rebuild and renew the rusted interior of the Makeup Air Handling Unit (MAU) -1 in an effort to extend its operating life and prevent a further unexpected shutdown of the cleanroom in the future. The rust and scale build up in the fan section of the air handler is due to the humidifiers' streams not being absorbed into the airstream efficiently. The age of the system and deterioration inside the fan section has reduced the life expectancy of the unit to less than 3 years prompting the need for this urgent preventative maintenance. Unfortunately delaying is not an option and an unexpected shutdown due to a catastrophic failure would be a longer downtime than a planned one.
During this maintenance period and to prevent future extended shutdowns, Maintenance Management and Energy and Sustainability will be using this downtime to optimally replace the HEPA filters which are 10 years past their recommended life and install a heat recovery system to reduce the system’s operating cost by reducing the system's heating and cooling load that will ensure optimal room environment conditions for the cleanroom and microscopy lab.
The CNF staff will be working with the contractor and facilities management to safeguard the cleanroom equipment and provide a speedy and efficient reopening of the cleanroom. We will keep you informed if anything changes.