The laboratory station for advanced research in energy storage in the Renewable Energy Engineering Laboratory at Oregon Tech was initially established to further research on metal-air batteries. One of the known chemistries for that type of battery uses lithium, a pyrophoric chemical (air-reactive material). To perform that type of research, Oregon Tech has a controlled environmental chamber (glove box) that is used to minimize oxidation of chemicals involved in battery assembly by preventing their exposure to moisture and oxygen. The glove box is used (1) to allow student researchers to perform their investigation in an inert atmosphere, (2) to store pyrophoric materials and anhydrous electrolytes, thus providing longevity to the chemicals and (3) to enhance laboratory safety. Oregon Tech’s safety policy is focused on establishing “programs that will help identify occupational hazards and prevent workplace illnesses and injuries [1].” This work details the results of actions taken to design a safety control system and its installation at the laboratory station. It includes a Hazards and Operability Analysis (HAZOP), Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) studies, the first two comply with international standards. Those studies served to identify risks so that the student investigator could recommend mitigation measures that make the laboratory station safer and compliant with Oregon Tech’s safety policies. The inert atmosphere glovebox installed at the Wilsonville Campus of Oregon Tech is customized to enclose a high purity inert atmosphere and sustain a pressure slightly higher than the outside air, such that any small leak would be inert gas leaking outward instead of air leaking inward. Although the customized equipment could be used to perform experiments in a controlled environment, it did not feature multiple levels of protection mechanisms against over/under pressurization. The lack of those mechanisms ultimately resulted in incidents that damaged part of the system, exposed the system’s occupational hazards and the risk of user injury. Therefore, instrumentation and control systems were installed and used to constantly monitor and regulate the supply gas cylinder and work chamber pressures, moisture, and oxygen concentrations as well as the vacuum inside the antechamber. This project added more layers of protection to the whole system.
The MS student investigator installed safety control systems in the laboratory station for advanced research in energy storage in the Renewable Energy Engineering Laboratory at Oregon Tech. By completion of his project, the he delivered an equipment that had multiple new features including (1) improved safety, (2) remote monitoring capabilities, (3) graphic user interface (GUI), (4) user’s guide and maintenance manuals, (5) design and implementation documentation and (6) connection to an external Potentiostat. There was also other minor upgrades to the system such as the replacement of plastic tubing by stainless steel tubing and fittings and the relocation of the moisture and oxygen concentration sensors to outside the work chamber.
This project solved a real engineering problem that happened at an university’s equipment.
The student investigator had the opportunity to tap into the knowledge gained during his academic experience as well as during his professional life. With the new features installed in the equipment, the investigator also contributed to his fellow classmates’ safety while substantially reducing the institution’s potential risk liability.
