Contact Allan Russell (feorlin@yahoo.com.au) Employer Department of Public Works Project Services State/Province Queensland (Australia) Title Senior Mechanical Engineer (Full-time) Employment Dates Jan. 2006 — Jun. 2006 Duration 100% (5 months) Tasks and Duties I was employed by Project Services as a Senior Mechanical Engineer to assist on the Queensland State Archives expansion at Runcorn. I was tasked to review historical building management system (BMS) trend logs of exiting chillers and electrical metering and to schematically designed and simulate the lifecycle cost of alternative energy-efficiency initiatives and and to make business cases for the my better recommendations. I then was tasked to develop the elected alternative design, complete with calculations, drawings, and specifications. Representative Projects Queensland State Archives Runcorn redevelopment (QSA2). I designed a massive thermal energy storage system for QSA2.
I designed and documented alternations of chilled water plant within QSA Runcorn Stage 1 to meet the total load of both Stages 1 & 2. I had to provide for a new chiller and a new cooling tower within the space available within existing stage 1 plantrooms. I also successfully made the business case for an outdoor chilled water storage tank with larger centrifugal chiller capable of generating all of the cooling capacity 8 hours each night when electricity is cheap and energy and water are used more efficiently. I calculated that the payback was about 10 years based on the contemporary cost of power, but likely sooner as the cost of power was clearly trending upwards faster than inflation. I also argued that the additional capital investment would likely increase chiller life, reduce maintenance costs, and provide 16 hours cooling load storage capacity in-case of power failure. My design served 70% more air handling loads, all the while reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the stage 1 + 2 chilled water plant by 28% below stage 1 only.
I considered alternative-options for the dimensions and location of the outdoor chilled water tank: the arrangement of the design development at the rear of QSA2 verses a wider and shorter arrangement amongst trees up hill at the rear of the campus. In both cases the tank needed 3,000 kL effective chilled water storage capacity, with the top of the tank no less than the height of the building. I excluded other alternative tank configurations with lower elevation overflows due to unacceptable increases in payback and operational risks. Dimensions of the thermal storage tank ended up 14.7 m diameter × 19.6 m high with the top working level of the tank about 99 m above sealevel, plus overflow and freeboard.
I designed piping and controls for off-peak charging of the thermal storage tank run at night, exploiting the tendency of cold water produced by chillers to sink while warmer spent water is drawn off the top. I consulted with other designers to confirm that rising boundary layer thermocline about 300 mm thick is established between the two zones as such tanks are charged with chilled water by running full load at the time of lowest electricity cost and highest efficiency. I ensured that my thermal storage tank design had the strength to withstand the pressure of the chilled water, and hot-dip galvanized for corrosion resistance. I ensured that my tank would be insulated to minimize external condensation and limit thermal losses to 1%. I reviewed and approved a modular steel panel system that was assembled on site before insertion of foam insulation and rubber bag liner. I took note of cheaper competitors who had some failures. I found that the cost of concrete tanks are typically 2 to 3 times the cost of modular steel supplier that I worked with on the strength of their success in other thermal energy storage applications as well as their reputation supplying uninsulated municipal water reservoirs. I used “Design Guide for Cool Thermal Storage” by Dorgan & Elleson 1993 (ASHRAE Research Project 592) for my detailed design of diffusers and controls.
Installation was completed in 2008 while I was lecturing in Melbourne. Inadvertent shutdown of chillers over one weekend was discovered the following Monday, while the chilled water storage tank fully maintained stringent temperature and humidity conditions throughout QSA for 72 hours.
Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Bribie Island Aquaculture and Fisheries Research. I provided design development for relocation of DPI fisheries from Deception Bay to Bribie Island. I participated in site surveys of the new and old premises, as well as to investigate private aquaculture bio-reactor installations nearby. I drew upon my extensive research experience with DPI at Bribie Island during my Aquacultural Engineering PhD research to prepare schematic drawings and a budget for the development to proceed after I gave notice that I had accepted a Lectureship position in Melbourne.
I stayed in touch with Project Services and DPI after I commenced my Lectureship in order to provide occasional minor clarifications of my design intent.