Temperature Controls at Antarctica Research Facility

The Project

A major research project into the science and ecology of Antarctica is being carried out by The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ). The organisation is collaborating with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which has an established base at Rothera in the Antarctic.

Due to accommodation restrictions on site and the cost of building a new fixed ground-based facility in a remote location to house the Dutch team, a fresh approach was required to enable the project to go ahead.

The Challenge

The requirement was to provide high-quality research facilities for precise scientific work, able to withstand the extreme Antarctic climate - while providing stable internal temperatures and atmospheric conditions.

Given the intense cold and dramatic changes in conditions, this was a major challenge. A key component of any solution would be precise control and monitoring, to ensure not only the safety of personnel working in the facility but the validity of the scientific experiments being carried out.

The Solution

It was decided to create a series of containerised modules to house the laboratories and research facilities required. These would be based on standard shipping containers and manufactured to very high standards, with bespoke equipment such as scientific instruments and indoor climate control equipment designed-in.

Four of the containerised laboratories were built by NIOZ in the Netherlands for shipping to the Antarctic as complete modules for installation next to the existing British Antarctic Survey station. The approach enables collaborative work with British scientists and central back-up for the Dutch scientists stationed there.

At the heart of the facility is an RDM-based control and monitoring system, designed and installed by Delta Technics Engineering BV for its client JM Services.

Despite external temperatures as low as -25oC, internal conditions in the modules have to be maintained at a steady 15-20oC. In addition, humidity levels and CO₂ concentration must be precisely monitored and regulated.

The RDM system controls all aspects of internal conditions, including heating, cooling and sophisticated ventilation systems – equipped with heat recovery to ensure energy is not lost to the outside. It also enables remote monitoring of the facility via the internet from anywhere in the world.

“It is an interesting application for RDM systems. It includes a heat pump to ensure a high level of energy efficiency. The external heat exchangers are required to work in ambient conditions as low as -25oC. The system, based on R404A, uses a secondary water/glycol system to provide both heating and cooling for the modules.” - MAx Neus, Managing Director, Delta Technics Engineering BV

The Benefits

The RDM solution was designed, tested and implemented in a relatively short space of time, enabling the project timetable to be achieved.

Before being signed off as safe to deploy, the completed modules were tested in simulated Antarctic conditions in temperature-controlled test rooms. The climatic chambers used were themselves controlled and monitored by RDM systems, reports Max Neus.

“The Antarctic project was in many ways unique,” he says. “However, we believe it points towards a bigger opportunity for the application of RDM system in the growing field of modularised facilities. These are used in many parts of the world to provide instant accommodation, for disaster relief by aid agencies, governments and the military. To enable their use in many parts of the world, particularly tropical zones, climate control is required. RDM solutions are a quick, cost-effective solution - and proven.”