ToolFusion Chemical
ToolFusion Chemical
πŸ“‹ Case Study

Ventilation System Redesign for Lithium-Ion Battery Dry Room

Moisture ingress hotspots near doorways and equipment penetrations due to buoyancy-driven convection currents

πŸ—οΈ Project Overview

Giga-factory dry room (Class 100, <1 ppm Hβ‚‚O) in Nevada

🎯 Challenge

Moisture ingress hotspots near doorways and equipment penetrations due to buoyancy-driven convection currents

πŸ”§ Design Approach

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of density-driven flow + strategic air curtain placement + differential pressure zoning

πŸ“ Design Diagram

Dry Room (≀1% RH) Doorway Ξ”T↑, β↑ β†’ Gr = 2.1Γ—10⁹ Penetration Air Curtain Zone A: +15 Pa Zone B: βˆ’5 Pa Ξ”P = 20 Pa Ri = 0.43 β†’ Mixed convection CFD Model Gr/ReΒ² = Ri β†’ buoyancy dominant Ventilation Redesign: Dry Room

AI-generated project design illustration

πŸ“ Key Calculations

Grashof Number

Gr = gΞ²Ξ”TLΒ³/Ξ½Β²
Result: 2.1Γ—10⁹
Indicated strong natural convection driving moisture infiltration

Richardson Number

Ri = Gr/ReΒ²
Result: 0.43
Confirmed mixed convection regime requiring hybrid forced/natural mitigation

πŸ“Š Results

Uniform dew point ≀ βˆ’40Β°C across 12,000 mΒ³ volume; 35% lower HVAC energy use

πŸ’‘ Lessons Learned

  • β€’Buoyancy effects dominate at low velocities β€” Ri < 0.5 invalidates pure forced-flow assumptions
  • β€’Air curtains require β‰₯3x local jet velocity to suppress infiltration

βœ… Key Takeaways

  • 1Buoyancy effects dominate at low velocities β€” Ri < 0.5 invalidates pure forced-flow assumptions
  • 2Air curtains require β‰₯3x local jet velocity to suppress infiltration