Container Board

CHALLENGE

This paper containerboard mill desperately needed a new ventilation solution. The Florida heat was making conditions way too hot in the summer. To find out exactly how hot, Moffitt installed sensors all around the building at the ground floor (5 ft elevation), the mezzanine level, the roof, and outside of the building. The test ran for about a month, capturing a wealth of data throughout the day.

With this data, a CFD model was created of the building. This model showed the current ventilation airflow, including where the air stagnated and where temperatures were out of control. This allowed the Moffitt team to design a new solution.

SOLUTION

The Moffitt team knew that natural ventilation would be the answer for this paper containerboard plant. Natural ventilation works great in paper mills because they generally have very high ceilings and produce a great amount of heat that rises through the roof vent by itself. The new solution included wall louvers at the floor and mezzanine to bring fresh air in, and MatrixVent natural ventilators on the roof to exhaust that hot air.

RESULTS

The new solution performed as designed, and the workers were significantly more comfortable. The new solution accounted for an approximately 30-degree temperature drop at the mezzanine, around 40 degree drop at the ceiling, and about 10 degrees at the floor. Just with natural ventilation.

Moffitt also installed the new equipment with a local MCI contractor. This included assembly and erection of the vents and louvers, as well as removal of the old duct work.