Consulting-Specifying Engineer - January 2009 - (Page 50) Case Study Temperature, humidity won’t sink this U-boat AT A GLANCE M SEMCO’s Pinnacle Primary Ventilation and Energy Recovery System efficiently cools and heats indoor and outdoor air for the Museum of Science and Industry. The curators at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago strive to keep the German U-505 submarine from succumbing to more than 50 years of environmental damage. Primera was selected to design a mechanical system that would protect the sub from environmental damage. Primera wanted to maintain a constant year-round temperature between 72 and 75 F and relative humidity of 40%. Primera selected a Pinnacle Primary Ventilation and Energy Recovery System from SEMCO to solve the problems. The Pinnacle system precools and dehumidifies outdoor air during the cooling season and preheats and humidifies the outdoor air during the heating season. ore than a half-century has passed since the German U-505 submarine was captured during World War II, but the curators at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago strive to keep the sub looking in fighting shape. Since the U-boat’s capture in 1944, it has survived a near sinking, a treacherous tow from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, and 50 years of bitter Chicago weather in its post as an outdoor exhibit at the museum. In 1997, the museum began a restoration project designed to preserve the U-505 and move it indoors to a climate-controlled environment. Presently, the submarine resides on a specially constructed 75 x 42 ft underground exhibit space at the Museum of Science and Industry. To preserve the U-Boat’s external and internal structure, the exhibit space was engineered for the most precise temperature and humidity control. Primera, an engineering and design management firm in Chicago, was selected to design a space and mechanical system that would protect the sub from environmental damage, while providing a comfortable indoor space for museum patrons. Primera wanted to maintain a constant year-round environmental temperature and relative humidity. “We wanted to maintain a year-round environment of 72 to 75 F with a near-constant relative humidity of 40%. Each additional point of humidity would accelerate the degradation of wood and metal on the sub,” said Ken Panucci, mechanical engineer at Primera. The problems Primera faced involved developing the system around Chicago’s broad spectrum climate, spatial limitations, and the inefficiencies of the existing chilled water system. The previous chilled water system could provide only a 44 F supply temperature. Since Chicago’s summers can get hot and humid, the supply temperature was not low enough to provide adequate cooling and dehumidification. Additionally, the traditional method of overcooling the air and then heating it back up would prove very inefficient. Originally, designers considered active dehumidification options typically found in natatorium Maintaining the internal temperature and relative humidity of the exhibit space was crucial to preserving the structure of the U-boat. Photo: Scott Brownell, Museum of Science and Industry 50 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • JANUARY 2009
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