WALTER REED ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE CASE STUDY

LOCATION: Silver Springs, Maryland

PROJECT: Environmental Calibration Chamber

Background

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) tests and develops medical solutions to aid both military servicemen and civilians. The research facility, which is located in Silver Springs, Maryland, needed a new cleanroom cold chamber to store various biological materials being researched, such as those used in the development of vaccines. Knowing this highly important cold chamber construction project would require the assistance of the industry’s top experts, WRAIR turned to CES.

Project Challenge

In order to properly preserve biological matter, a cleanroom must maintain strict environmental conditions. WRAIR requested a relative humidity of 3% and a temperature of 4°C for optimal results. With that in mind, our team set out to craft the blueprints. This project presented unique spatial challenges, given that the cleanroom cold chamber would have to be placed on the second floor of the building. In addition, the dual-coil desiccant drier fan coil unit had to be mounted on the exterior of the building’s roof.

Results

Using our vast knowledge of cleanroom design and construction and drawing on our years of experience, we were able to create a final product that satisfied all the requirements of WRAIR. After careful research and planning, we achieved a cleanroom cold chamber with a Class 100 ISO5 Classification. It complied with the temperature and relative humidity standards that were requested, allowing the experts at WRAIR to seamlessly move forward with their biological testing initiatives.

The enclosure was constructed from heavy-duty stainless steel and installed by CES in a timely manner. WRAIR was able to begin using it right away and continue to strengthen United States armed forces and general population against potential threats.

Design Parameters

Temperature: 4°C
Stability: ±0.5°C
Relative Humidity: 3% with a stability of ±1% RH
Cleanliness: ISO 5 (Class 100)