PROJECTS

MAIN OBJECTIVE

The project aims to design, develop, prototyping and validate a new concept of climatic boxes (with isothermal enclosures) with integrated air conditioning modules, the NewGenShell.

SCOPE

With the increasing demand in the quality level of products, tests using climatic chambers are increasingly required and demanding. Application sectors such as automotive, electronics and aeronautics require durability tests with very demanding requirements.

Due to the type of product tested, the size of these chambers is very large, which poses particularly relevant challenges, i.e. structural, insulation, safety, etc.

The existing climatic chambers are designed to suit the customer's requirements (non-modular, involving a lot of manual work and, in general, of size defined according to the type of transport available). In most cases, they are inefficient in terms of energy and safety.

MAIN OBJETIVES

• Design modular panel systems that ensure the flexibility of these boxes in terms of shape and volume;
• Design connections between modular panels;
• Ensure watertight casings and air permeability;
• Design systems for the creation of openings (wall passages and openings);
• Design safety systems that do not allow human access to the inside of the boxes (enclosures), or the opening of the doors from the outside, in conditions that endanger human health;
• Design systems with insulated floors and resistant to high loads;
• Design smaller-sized housings (enclosures) that can be coupled to the main chambers and are used for the coupling of integrated air conditioning systems (CLIMOs (CLImatic MOdules).
• Design and develop energy and environmentally efficient CLIMOs.
• Explore pre-fabrication concepts that ensure fast industrial assemblies;
• Create a product with high commercial value and high export potential.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS

• Preliminary Studies
• Design and Development of the Panels and Enclosure
• Productive Approach and Prototyping
• Verification and Validation Tests
• Promotion and Dissemination of Results
• Project Management

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

• Dias, S.; Tadeu, A.; Ramalho, A.; Brett, M.; Pedro, F. 2022 "Thermal and Mechanical Characterisation of Sandwich Core Materials for Climatic Chamber Shells Subjected to High Temperatures". Energies - MDPI, 15, pp. 2089.