Aqualab Facilities

This aquatic research room is setup to house a swim flume.

Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: This room has five 115 V, two 250 V 3 phase electrical circuits. There are two duplex receptacles per 115 V circuit one of each is controlled by the Argus™ system. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each receptacle is ground fault protected. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the room. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on manual for too long.

Recirculation system: Located on the east wall are three pipes, these pipes supply the room with recirculated water of three different temperatures. The recirculation system can be found in room 161 and is composed of a 600 V March pump, a PRA rotating screen filter, a gravel bed filter, a Trojan 2 bulb UV sterilizer and three Armstrong plate heat exchangers. The system is controlled by Argus™. To understand more of the function of this system see the section on room 161.

Control System: Argus™ controls and monitors the pump, the make-up water supply, the water temperature, the room’s photoperiod and four receptacles located on the east and west walls of the room.

Flow: The system has three paddlewheel flow sensors, one on each water supply line, that are monitored and alarmed. The pump has a temperature sensor located on the output to monitor and protect from overheating caused be cavitation. 
Make-up water: A paddlewheel flow sensor is integral to the make-up water system. An Ultrasonic level sensor is used to maintain and monitor water level in the sump pit.
Water Temperature: Each heat exchanger has a temperature sensor used to control, monitor and alarm water temperature. 
Photoperiod: A photosensor is located within the room to monitor light operation.

To understand more of the function of each system see the section on room 161.

ECARS is an acronym for Environmentally Controlled Aquatic Recirculating System. Each system is made up of a double drain tank with an external standpipe, a pump, a bubble washed bead filter, a UV sterilizer and a temperature controller. These systems were designed in Aqualab for small system setups. Each system is computer controlled. There are twelve units in this room. Access to tanks 1-6 is through door marked 151 a, for tanks 7-12 through door marked 151 b.

Tank: The tanks used for the systems found in this room are six feet in diameter with double drains, two inches of insulation on the sides and bottom. Each tank is supplied with a photolid complete with a photoperiod controlled light and a sliding door. The tank has a reservoir in the centre below the airstone, due to the flow dynamics of the tank excess food and faeces is drawn into this reservoir and concentrated. The reservoir is part of the external standpipe/drain system for the tank. The standpipe is a loop with a valved bypass at the base. This valve needs to be opened daily to expel the waste built up in the reservoir. Opening this valve will also drain the tank. Please do not drain the tank at the end of an experiment without consulting Aqualab staff. The temperature controller and the pump must be shutoff prior to draining the tank otherwise damage to these pieces of equipment can occur.

Filter: The filter supplied with the system is a bubble washed bead filter. Due to the flow dynamics of the tank this filter acts as a biofilter. Water for the recirculation is drawn from the small peripheral drain.

UV Sterilization: The UV sterilizer located on the system is a single bulb Aqualogic sterilizer provided by Trojan Industries. It is located between the bubble bead filter and the temperature controller.

Temperature control: Temperature control is achieved in much the same way as it is accomplished in an environmental chamber. These custom made controllers (Constant Temperature Control) are composed of a refrigeration compressor, a hot gas bypass valve, a heat exchanger and a computer interface. The units run continuously and temperature control is maintained by modulation of the hot gas bypass valve and monitored by a thermistor mounted in the outflow of the heat exchanger.

Makeup water: Raw water is added to the tank’s recirculation system on a regular basis. The volume added is determined by the user, the Argus™ system opens and closes the make-up water solenoid valve (a pulse). The number of pulses per day is determined by the volume to be added per day and the volume of water that passes the paddlewheel flow sensor in 1 minute. The make-up water system is composed of a paddlewheel flow sensor and a solenoid valve on a ½" PVC supply line . Water is fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system into the tank’s recirculation return line.

Control System: Argus™ controls and monitors the pump, the make-up water supply, the water temperature, the tank’s photoperiod and two receptacles located on the walls of room 151.

Flow: The system has a paddlewheel flow sensor on the recirculation return line, that is monitored and alarmed. The pump has a temperature sensor located on the output to monitor and protect it from overheating caused be cavitation. 
Make-up water: A paddlewheel flow sensor is integral to the make-up water system.
Water Temperature: The heat exchanger has a temperature sensor used to control, monitor and alarm water temperature.

Alarms: There are a number of parameters within the ECARS that can be alarmed. As previously mentioned, there are alarms for recirculation flow, photoperiod and water temperature deviation. There is also a Control Override for the system as well. If the water temperature rises above a preset point or drops below another preset point, the control system will cut all power to the controller. Immediately the system will go into the highest alarm state and activate the Control Override Alarm, an audible alarm and the auto dialer will be activated to notify personnel of the problem. Power will be restored when water temperature returns to normal or by the Facility Manager. Operating in conjunction with the control override are manual temperature controllers. These manual controllers also act to cut power to the chamber during times of temperature extreme. These manual controls need to be reset after environmental conditions are changed usually at the beginning of new experiments. There is also a Low Air Pressure Alarm on the regenerative air system.

Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

Air temperature in this room is monitored, but is not under the Argus™ system’s control.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: This room has five 115 V, two 250 V 3 phase electrical circuits. There are two duplex receptacles per 115 V circuit one of each is controlled by the Argus™ system. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each receptacle is ground fault

protected. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the room. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on manual for too long.

Recirculation system: Located on the east wall are three pipes, these pipes supply the room with recirculated water of three different temperatures. The recirculation system can be found in room 161 and is composed of a 600V March pump, a PRA rotating screen filter, a gravel bed filter, a Trojan 2 bulb UV sterilizer and three Armstrong plate heat exchangers. The system is controlled by Argus™. To understand more of the function of this system see the section on room 161.

Control System: Argus™ controls and monitors the pump, the make-up water supply, the water temperature, the room’s photoperiod and four receptacles located on the east and west walls of the room.

Flow: The system has three paddlewheel flow sensors, one on each water supply line, that are monitored and alarmed. The pump has a temperature sensor located on the output to monitor and protect from overheating caused be cavitation. 
Make-up water: A paddlewheel flow sensor is integral to the make-up water system. An Ultrasonic level sensor is used to maintain and monitor water level in the sump pit.
Water Temperature: Each heat exchanger has a temperature sensor used to control, monitor and alarm water temperature. 
Photoperiod: A photosensor is located within the room to monitor light operation.

To understand more of the function of each system see the section on room 161.

This room is setup to house the undergraduate teaching collection of marine fish and invertebrates.

Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

Air temperature in this room is monitored, but is not under the Argus™ system’s control.

Tanks: There are seven 2.25 m long trays, four 1.5 m long tanks and four 2 m long tanks. These tanks are arranged into five banks. One bank is composed of 4 trays while the other four banks have one of each size tank (2.25 m tray on top, 1.5 m tank in the middle and the 2 m tank on the bottom). Each tank or tray is sullied with an internal standpipe. The room also has three 1.2 m diameter tanks complete with internal standpipes.

This room also has two twelve foot long wet tables that can be used to set aquaria on for small experiments. System water and low pressure air are available for the aquaria on these tables.

Biofiltration: The biofiltration for this room is accomplished in the gravel bed located in the sump pit in room 161. New biofilters need time to grow bacterial cultures. Nitrosomonas sp. grow first, converting ammonia to nitrite. There is a lag time before Nitrobacter sp. start to grow. It is during the time that Nitrobacter sp. is becoming established that elevated levels of nitrite could become dangerous to fish. Nitrobacter sp. converts nitrite to nitrate a much less toxic form of organic nitrogen.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power:This room has five 115 V and two 250 V three phase electrical circuits. There are two duplex receptacles per 115 V circuit. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the ground fault receptacles. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the anteroom. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on manual for too long.

There are also 3 growth lights suspended from the ceiling over the top trays. These lights are also photoperiod controlled and turn on and off, after and before the light ramping sequence.

Recirculation system: Located on the east wall are three pipes, these pipes supply the room with recirculated water of three different temperatures. The recirculation system can be found in room 161 and is composed of a 600V March pump, a PRA rotating screen filter, a gravel bed filter, a Trojan 2 bulb UV sterilizer and three Armstrong plate heat exchangers. The system is controlled by Argus™. Water is not added automatically to this system, if water is lost Aqualab personnel must be notified. To understand more of the function of this system see the section on room 161.

Control System: Argus™ controls and monitors the pump, the make-up water supply, the water temperature, the room’s photoperiod and four receptacles located on the east and west walls of the room.

Flow: The system has three paddlewheel flow sensors, one on each water supply line, that are monitored and alarmed. The pump has a temperature sensor located on the output to monitor and protect from overheating caused by cavitation.

Make-up water: A paddlewheel flow sensor is integral to the make-up water system. An ultrasonic level sensor is used to maintain and monitor water level in the sump pit.

Water Temperature: Each heat exchanger has a temperature sensor used to control, monitor and alarm water temperature.

Photoperiod: A photosensor is located within the room to monitor light operation.

This room has 4 controlled receptacles that can be used to program on/off function for variety of equipment. Currently two of these circuits are in use to control the overhead growth lights. The room also has installed in it a set of controlled extension cords, these cords are located on the west wall over the wet bench to provide the same on/off programmability as the wall receptacles. Also located within this box is wiring to provide sensor input for student experiments.

To understand more of the function of each system see the section on room 161.

Unlike every other room in this facility this room is designed as a flow-through system. This is due to the nature of fish disease research. The room has several design features that make it unique from the other rooms.

Animal Holding Room:

Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The trench drains into a large underground sump pit that is covered with several FRP panels.

Located on the north wall of the room is a hands free sink. There is also a footbath integrated into the floor in front of the door. A removable stainless steel rail is mounted into the floor between the footbath and the room. Upon entering the animal holding potion of the room you must walk through the footbath to the hands-free sink to wash your hands. Both the drains for the sink and the footbath are connected to the sump pit.

Located on the south wall is a cold water/steam unit for cleaning tanks.

Sump: located along the east wall and below the floor is a sump pit

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: This room has five 115V, two 220 V and one 250V 3 phase electrical circuits. Of the 115 V circuits one receptacle of two circuits is controlled by the Argus™ system. Each receptacle is ground fault protected. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the room. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on manual for too long.

Ventilation: This room has a separate ventilation system to the rest of the facility. Recirculated air is supplied to the room from the building HVAC system, however the room

is supplied with its own exhaust fan. This creates a negative pressure within the room causing air to be drawn in. The negative pressure prevents possibly contaminated air from leaving the confines of the room.

Anteroom:

Water Supply: This room is supplied with well water fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system. Flow into the room is monitored by a paddlewheel flow sensor. When this sensor stops it initiates a control sequence that causes the domestic water backup supply line to open. The domestic water supply passes through a carbon filter to remove contaminants (chlorine and copper) from the water before it enters the tanks in the room. When well water flow is restored it initiates a control sequence to return water flow to the well water supply to the fish tanks. Domestic water supply will be an alarm condition.

UV Sterilization: This room is supplied with a one bulb Trojan Aqualogic UV sterilizer located on the north wall in the anteroom.

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of two plate heat exchangers supplied with hot and cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchangers by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin.

The computer control system regulates the position of two two-position three-way actuated valves to provide either hot or cold glycol. Actuated modulating valves regulate the amount of glycol supplied to each heat exchanger to maintain the target water temperatures. The range of water temperatures in this room is approximately 8°C - 25°C. 

This unique aquatic research room is set up inside an environmental chamber. The room itself is a stainless steel-lined Constant Temperature environmental chamber with air temperature control ranging between 5°C-30°C. This air temperature can be alarmed to ±1°C.

Animal Holding Room

Room: This room is a 40 m² environmental chamber. The walls, ceiling and fan units are stainless steel. The floor is a special hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

The door for animal holding room and the anteroom has a covered window built into it to allow inspection of the room without entry. The door covering the window should remain closed at all times while not in use. There are no handles located in the anteroom.

To exit the animal holding room push on the left side of the door until it opens.

There are no catches to hold the door closed, only a mechanical door closure. There is provision to lock the door. If the door were to be locked while someone was still in the room, a release mechanism is located on the wall inside the room beside the door. Spin the knob until it comes completely off and push on the left side of the door until it opens.

Temperature control: Air temperature in the animal holding portion of the room ranges from 5°C - 25°C and is controlled by the Argus™ system. Temperatures are fully programable, the air temperature could follow a diurnal pattern, rising and dropping with the photoperiod. Temperature is monitored by a thermistor located within the room. The Air Temperature Deviation Alarm can be set to activate with as little as ± 1°C change.

Tanks

Biofiltration: The biofiltration for this room is accomplished in the gravel bed located in the anteroom. New biofilters need time to grow bacterial cultures. Nitrosomonas sp. grows first, converting ammonia to nitrite. There is a lag time before Nitrobacter sp. starts to grow. It is during the time that Nitrobacter sp. is becoming established that elevated levels of nitrite could become dangerous to fish. Nitrobacter sp. converts nitrite to nitrate a much less toxic form of organic nitrogen.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: This room has five 115 V and two 250 V electrical circuits. There are two duplex receptacles per 115 V circuit. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the ground fault receptacles. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the anteroom. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: This room has a combination of fluorescent and incandescent lights in weatherproof fixtures. The room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up to full intensity, then the fluorescent lights turn on sequentially in three steps. At “dusk” the process reverses with the incandescent bulbs slowly ramping off at “sunset” Photoperiod is monitored by a light sensor located in each room. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall outside Room 181. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on too long.

Alarms: There are a number of parameters within the room that can be alarmed. As previously mentioned, there is an alarm for photoperiod and air temperature deviation. There is also a Control Override for the chamber itself. If the air temperature rises above 28°C or drops below 15°C, the control system will cut all power to the chamber. Immediately the system will go into the highest alarm state and activate the Control Override Alarm, an audible alarm and the auto dialer will be activated to notify personnel of the problem. Power will be restored when air temperature returns to normal or by the Facility Manager. Operating in conjunction with the control override are manual temperature controllers. These manual controllers also act to cut power to the chamber during times of temperature extreme. These manual controls need to be reset after environmental conditions are changed usually at the beginning of new experiments. There is also a Low Air Pressure Alarm on the regenerative air system.

Anteroom

Room: The water treatment system is located in the anteroom and consists of a 2m x 2m x 1.5 m deep sump, two pumps, a screen filter, a one bulb UV sterilizer and three plate heat exchangers. The effluent sump pit is also located here.

The anteroom is also supplied with a sink with hot and cold domestic water, and cupboards above and below the sink for limited storage of chemicals and equipment. A fire extinguisher is located beside the door. Windows in the doors provide visual access to both rooms.

To exit the anteroom push on the left side of the door until it opens. 
There are no catches to hold the door closed, only a mechanical door closure. There is provision to lock the door. If the door were to be locked while someone was still in the room, a release mechanism is located on the wall inside the room beside the door. Spin the knob until it comes completely off and push on the left side of the door until it opens.

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of two plate heat exchangers supplied with both hot and cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchanger by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin.

The computer control system regulates the position of two two-position three-way actuated valves to provide either hot or cold glycol. An actuated modulating valve regulates the amount of glycol supplied to the heat exchanger to maintain the target water temperature. The range of water temperatures in this room is approximately 3°C - 25°C. There is a small amount of flexibility in the system, which is governed by the flow rate of water through the exchanger and the surface area of the plates found in the exchanger itself.

Water Replacement: Water is added to the room’s recirculation system on a regular basis. The volume added is controlled by the Argus™ system which in turn controls the make-up water solenoid valve. The make-up water system is composed of a paddlewheel flow sensor and a solenoid valve on a 1" PVC supply line . Water is fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system into the room’s sump pit.

Water Recirculation: Water is recirculated around the room from the sump pit to the tanks and back again. Two pumps, located beside the sump pit, draw water through the gravel bed filter located in the sump pit and pump it through the UV sterilizer, and the plate heat exchangers. After the water is filtered and the temperature is modified, it travels to the tanks in the animal holding room. Water overflows stand pipes located within each tank and returns via drain lines to the sump pit. Water is filtered through a rotating screen filter before it passes through the gravel bed filter. The drain lines are found in the trench. Each set of tanks has a set of blade valves to direct flow either into the trench (for cleaning and disinfection) or back to the sump (for recirculation).

Recirculation water flow is monitored by paddlewheel flow sensors which are set to activate an alarm when flow drops below a preset level (Low Flow Alarm). The preset level is dependent upon the minimum required water flow. A No Flow Alarm situation occurs when the pumps shut down.

System Water Volume: The water level in the sump pit is monitored by an ultrasonic level sensor. When the water level drops below a preset point the make-up water solenoid valve opens. Water is added until the sump is once again full. If the water level drops below a preset level (setpoint 1) an alarm is activated (Low Water Level Alarm) and the make-up water solenoid opens. If the water level continues to drop past another prest level (setpoint2), the pumps will be turned off by the control system, to protect them from overheating and draining the sump pit. This will activate another alarm (No Flow Alarm). When the water level rises above the preset point (setpoint 2) the control system will reactivate the pumps, thereby restoring flow. With the resumption of flow the No Flow Alarm will be deactivated. When the water level rises above first preset point (setpoint 1) the Low Water Level Alarm will be deactivated.

General holding as the name implies holds a variety of species in insulated 1.8 m diameter fiberglass tanks. Each tank has an approximate holding volume of 2 m3. There are currently 25 of these tanks, twelve 0.6 m diameter tanks and one Heath rack for incubating salmonid eggs.
Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There are grate covered trenches located between the tanks. The drain lines for the tanks are located within these trenches, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

Air temperature in this room is monitored, but is not under the Argus™ system’s control.

Tanks: The 1.8 m tanks are equipped with dual internal stand pipes. The outer standpipe sits higher than the water level in the tank. Holes have been drilled through the bottom of this pipe to effect a self cleaning action for the bottom of the tank. Water is drawn through these holes and up over the inner standpipe. The inner pipe must still be briefly removed either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

The 0.6 m tanks have a cone shaped bottom, a perforated PVC screen is placed over this cone to prevent small fish from going down the drain. The tanks are designed to self clean. Waste drops through the PVC and is drawn down into the drain line. The cone shape acts to keep waste from settling in the tank. These tanks are also equipped with an external standpipe. The inner standpipe for these tanks must also be removed briefly either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

Biofiltration: This room is provided with biofilters. The biofilters are located between the inflow lines and the 1.8m tanks. They are made of green ribbed PVC pipe with a perforated PVC screen on the bottom. Number ½ and 2 plastic Tri-packs™ fill the pipe. New biofilters need time to grow bacterial cultures. Nitrosomonas sp. grows first, converting ammonia to nitrite. There is a lag time before Nitrobacter sp. starts to grow. It is during the time that Nitrobacter sp. is becoming established that elevated levels of nitrite could become dangerous to fish. Nitrobacter sp. converts nitrite to nitrate a much less toxic form of organic nitrogen.

Biofilters should not be allowed to dry out. This is particularly important in marine systems; dry-out will result in sterilization of the biofilter.

Power: This room has only two 115 V and two 220 V electrical circuits. They are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the ground fault receptacles. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the main hallway. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from two timed switches located on the wall near the door to the room. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on too long. The current photoperiod for this room is 12 hours ( lights on at 7:00 AM and off at 7:00 PM)

Filtration and Temperature Control located in Room 174

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of one plate heat exchanger supplied with cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchanger by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin.

The computer control system regulates the position of an actuated modulating valve to modify the amount of glycol supplied to the heat exchanger. This acts to maintain the target water temperature. The water temperature in this room is held at 10°C.

Water Replacement: Water is added to the room’s recirculation system on a regular basis. The volume added is controlled by the Argus™ system which in turn controls the make-up water solenoid valve. The make-up water system is composed of a paddlewheel flow sensor and a solenoid valve on a 1" PVC supply line . Water is fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system into the room’s sump pit. 75,000 L of water are added in pulses of one minute duration 540 times a day. The number of pulses per day is determined by the volume of water that passes the paddlewheel flow sensor in one minute. 

Water Recirculation: Water is recirculated around the room from the sump pit to the tanks and back again. Two 3 hp pumps, are used to pump water through two sand filters, a charcoal filter, two four bulb UV sterilizers, and the plate heat exchanger. After the water is filtered and the temperature is modified, it travels to the tanks in room 160. Water overflows stand pipes located either within the tank or beside it and returns via drain lines to the sump pit. The drain lines are found in the trench. Each 1.8 m tank or each set of four 0.6 m tanks has a set of blade valves to direct flow either into the trench (for cleaning and disinfection) or back to the sump (for recirculation).

Recirculation water flow is monitored by a paddle wheel flow sensor which is set to activate an alarm when flow drops below a preset level (Low Flow Alarm). The preset level is dependent upon the minimum required water flow.

System Water Volume: The water level in the sump pit is monitored by an ultrasonic level sensor. When the water level drops below a preset point the make-up water solenoid valve opens. Water is added until the sump is once again full. If the water level drops below 90 cm in depth an alarm is activated (Low Water Level Alarm) and the make-up water solenoid opens. If the water level drops past 60 cm, the pumps will be turned off by the control system, to protect them from burnout. This will activate another alarm (Low Flow Alarm). When the water level rises above 60 cm the control system will reactivate the pumps, thereby restoring flow. When the water level rises above 90 cm the Low Water Level Alarm will be deactivated, and when the water rises to 130 cm the make-up water solenoid will go back into water replacement mode.

Located in the General Holding Room, this chamber has an area of 9 m². High intensity lights, temperature and humidity are controlled by the computer system.

The door has a covered window built into it to allow inspection of the room without entry. The door covering the window should remain closed at all times while not in use. There is no handle located on the inside of the door.

To exit the room push on the left side of the door until it opens.

There are no catches to hold the door closed, only a mechanical door closure. There is provision to lock the door. If the door were to be locked while someone was still in the room, a release mechanism is located on the wall inside the room beside the door. Turn the handle to the right and push on the left side of the door until it opens.

Lights: Lighting is provided by a fluorescent lighting canopy with eighteen bulbs configured into six stages of lighting and two incandescent lights in weatherproof fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up to full intensity, then the fluorescent lights turn on sequentially in up to six steps if necessary. At “dusk” the process reverses with the incandescent bulbs slowly ramping off at “sunset” The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires.

Temperature control: Air temperature for this room ranges from 5°C - 25°C and is controlled by the Argus™ system. Temperature is fully programable. Temperature is monitored by a thermistor located within the room. The Air Temperature Deviation Alarm can be set to activate with as little as ± 1°C change.

Humidity Control: Room 160 a has two jets to add a fine mist of water to the room. Humidity is additive only and fine control is not possible at this time.

Power: This room has four 115 V electrical circuits. They are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit is protected by a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the receptacle. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall outside the chamber. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Water: Raw water is supplied to this room. A 1" water line can be located in the south east corner of the room. A floor drain was added to this room to provide drainage. The drain is not “trapped” and connected to the floor drains for rooms 160b and c. these drains empty into the trench drain in room 160.

Aeration: Low pressure air is supplied through PVC pipes along each side wall. At the current time there are 24 outlets for air, however, more can be added as the need presents itself.

Alarms: There are a number of parameters within the room that can be alarmed. As previously mentioned, there is an alarm for photoperiod and air temperature deviation. There is also a Control Override for the chamber itself. If the air temperature rises above 28°C or drops below 15°C, the control system will cut all power to the chamber. Immediately the system will go into the highest alarm state and activate the Control Override Alarm, an audible alarm and the auto dialer will be activated to notify personnel of the problem. Power will be restored when air temperature returns to normal or by the Facility Manager. Operating in conjunction with the control override are manual temperature controllers. These manual controllers also act to cut power to the chamber during times of temperature extreme. These manual controls need to be reset after environmental conditions are changed usually at the beginning of new experiments. There is also a Low Air Pressure Alarm on the regenerative air system.

Located in the General Holding Room, these chambers have an area of 9 m². High intensity lights, temperature and humidity are controlled by the computer system.

The door has a covered window built into it to allow inspection of the room without entry. The door covering the window should remain closed at all times while not in use. There is no handle located on the inside of the door.

To exit the room push on the left side of the door until it opens.

There are no catches to hold the door closed, only a mechanical door closure. There is provision to lock the door. If the door were to be locked while someone was still in the room, a release mechanism is located on the wall inside the room beside the door. Turn the handle to the right and push on the left side of the door until it opens.

Lights: Lighting is provided by a fluorescent lighting canopy with eighteen bulbs configured into six stages of lighting and two incandescent lights in weatherproof fixtures. The fluorescent light banks have been removed from rooms 160 c and e. These rooms have fully programmable photoperiods (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up to full intensity, then the fluorescent lights turn on sequentially in up to six steps if necessary. At “dusk” the process reverses with the incandescent bulbs slowly ramping off at “sunset” The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires.

Temperature control: Air temperature for this room ranges from -5°C - 30°C and is controlled by the Argus™ system. Temperature is fully programable. Temperature is monitored by a thermistor located within the room. The Air Temperature Deviation Alarm can be set to activate with as little as ± 1°C change.

Humidity Control: These rooms have two jets to add a fine mist of water to the room. Humidity is additive only and fine control is not possible at this time. The humidity control is not available at the time.

Power: Each room has four 115V electrical circuits each circuit is controlled by the Argus system. They are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit is protected by a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the receptacle. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall outside the chamber. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Water: There is a raw water supply to each room. A 1" water line can be located in the

south east corner of each room. A floor drain was added to this room to provide drainage. The drain is not “trapped” and connected to the floor drains for at least one other rooms. These drains empty into the trench drain in room 160.

Aeration: Low pressure air is supplied through PVC pipes along each side wall. At the current time there are 24 outlets for air, however, more can be added as the need presents itself.

Alarms: There are a number of parameters within each room that can be alarmed. As previously mentioned, there is an alarm for photoperiod and air temperature deviation. There is also a Control Override for each chamber. If the air temperature rises above 28°C or drops below 15°C, the control system will cut all power to the chamber. Immediately the system will go into the highest alarm state and activate the Control Override Alarm, an audible alarm and the auto dialer will be activated to notify personnel of the problem. Power will be restored when air temperature returns to normal or by the Facility Manager. Operating in conjunction with the control override are manual temperature controllers. These manual controllers also act to cut power to the chamber during times of temperature extreme. These manual controls need to be reset after environmental conditions are changed usually at the beginning of new experiments. There is also a Low Air Pressure Alarm on the regenerative air system.

Access to this room is restricted to authorized personnel only.

Room: The water treatment systems for rooms 150, 152 and 154 are located in this room. Each system consists of a 2m x 2m x 2 m deep sump with a gravel bed filter, a screen filter, one pump, one two bulb UV sterilizer and three plate heat exchangers.

A fire extinguisher is located beside the door.

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of three plate heat exchangers supplied with hot or cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchangers by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin.

The computer control system regulates the position of two two-position three-way actuated valves to provide either hot or cold glycol. Actuated modulating valves regulate the amount of glycol supplied to each heat exchanger to maintain the target water temperatures. The range of water temperatures in this room is approximately 4°C - 25°C. The range of temperatures between heat exchangers for this room is restricted to the ΔT for the exchanger. The exchanger must be able to change the water from the mixed water temperature found within the sump to the set point in a single pass. Therefore the system can only handle temperature differences between heat exchangers of 3 - 4°C (e.g. 8°C, 12°C, 16°C). There is a small amount of flexibility in the system, which is governed by the flow rate of water through the exchanger and the surface area of the plates found in the exchanger itself. 

Water Recirculation: Water is recirculated around the room from the sump pit to the tanks and back again. Water enters the room and passes though a rotating screen filter before dropping into the sump pit. The pump, located beside the heat exchangers, draws water down through a gravel bed filter, which acts as a biofilter, then pumps it through the UV sterilizer and the plate heat exchangers. After the water is filtered and the temperature is modified, it travels to the tanks in the animal holding room. Water overflows stand pipes located either within the tank or beside it and returns via drain lines to the sump pit. The drain lines are found in the trench. Each large tank or each set of smaller tanks or trays has a set of blade valves to direct flow either into the trench (for cleaning and disinfection) or back to the sump (for recirculation).

Recirculation water flow is monitored by a paddle wheel flow sensors, on each water line, which are set to activate an alarm when flow drops below a preset level (Low Flow Alarm). The preset level is dependent upon the minimum required water flow.

Biofiltration: Each system within this room is provided with biofilteration. The biofilter is located in the gravel bed filter in the sump pit. New biofilters need time to grow bacterial cultures. Nitrosomonas sp. grows first, converting ammonia to nitrite. There is a lag time before Nitrobacter sp. starts to grow. It is during the time that Nitrobacter sp. is becoming established that elevated levels of nitrite could become dangerous to fish. Nitrobacter sp. converts nitrite to nitrate a much less toxic form of organic nitrogen.

System Water Volume: The water level in each sump pit is monitored by an ultrasonic level sensor. When the water level drops below a preset point the make-up water solenoid valve opens. Water is added until the sump is once again full. If the water level drops below a preset level (setpoint 1) an alarm is activated (Low Water Level Alarm) and the make-up water solenoid opens. If the water level continues to drop past another prest level (setpoint 2), the pump will be turned off by the control system, to protect it from overheating and draining the sump pit. This will activate another alarm (No Flow Alarm). When the water level rises above the preset point (setpoint 2) the control system will reactivate the pump, thereby restoring flow. With the resumption of flow the No Flow Alarm will be deactivated. When the water level rises above first preset point (setpoint 1) the Low Water Level Alarm will be deactivated.

Water Replacement: Raw water (untreated water) is added to each room’s recirculation system on a regular basis. The make-up water system is composed of a paddlewheel flow sensor and a solenoid valve on a 1" PVC supply line . The volume added is controlled by the Argus™ system which in turn controls the make-up water solenoid valve. Raw water is fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system into the room’s sump pit. The number of pulses per day is determined by the volume of water that passes the paddlewheel flow sensor in one minute. Volume to be added is fully programmable and ranges from a few litres to tens of thousands of litres per day. Raw water flow into the pit for room 154 is alarmed immediately. Salt Water: Salt water is made up in room 174 in the marine water mixing tanks and is pumped to the pit. Salt water is added manually to the pit for room 154.

Rooms: These two rooms are located on the main hallway of the Aqualab. They are 20 m² environmental chambers. The rooms are functionally the same. Both have a supply of low and high pressure air, well water, domestic cold water (for cleaning), and salt water. The sink in each room has a supply of domestic hot and cold water, and deionized water.

The walls, ceiling and fan units are stainless steel. The floor is a special hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. Water drains into a trench in the center of the room. This trench must be cleaned at the same time the room is cleaned.

The door for each room has a covered window built into it to allow inspection of the room without entry. The door covering the window should remain closed at all times while not in use. There is no handle located on the inside of the door.

To exit the room push on the right side of the door until it opens.

There are no catches to hold the door closed, only a mechanical door closure. There is provision to lock the door. If the door were to be locked while someone was still in the room, a release mechanism is located on the wall inside the room beside the door. Spin the knob until it comes completely off and push on the right side of the door until it opens.

Temperature control: Air temperature in these rooms ranges from 5°C - 25°C and is controlled by the Argus™ system. Temperatures are fully programable, the air temperature in room 163 follows a diurnal pattern, rising and dropping with the photoperiod. Temperature is monitored by a thermistor located within the room. The Air Temperature Deviation Alarm can be set to activate with as little as ± 1°C change.

Power: Each room has eight 115 V electrical circuits. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the receptacle. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall outside the chamber. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: The fluorescent light fixtures are weatherproof. The rooms have fully programmable photoperiods (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). The fluorescent lights turn on and off sequentially at dawn and dusk in three steps. Photoperiod is monitored by light sensors located in each room. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall outside Room 181. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on too long.

Room 166 is a dry lab for use by all Aqualab users. The lab has a fume hood, a still to produce distilled water, two sinks, a refrigerator, and bench and cupboard space. Access to this room is available from the Aqualab Manager.

Pre-filtration: Three large aggregate filters complete with timer activated automatic backwash valves filter the incoming well water. The University provides this facility with untreated water drawn from three wells located on campus. While the water quality is exceptionally good it has a tendency to become dirty from the distribution network of pipes on a regular basis. In an effort to maintain the best water quality possible we pre-filter this water prior to piping it to each aquatic research room or ECAR system.

Waste water treatment: Waste water is returned from the research portions of the facility to a sump pit in this room. The water level is monitored by a Miltronics ultrasonic level sensor. This sensor controls two submersible Myers pumps, one is on normal power the other is on emergency power. Water levels in this pit are maintained and alarmed at preset levels. Water leaves the facility for the sanitary sewer after passing two six bulb UV sterilizers.

Cold Glycol Generation: Two Carrier™ refrigeration units are used to chill glycol for the plate heat exchangers found in each research room. These chillers are set up for lead /lag operation with one on emergency power while the other is on normal power. Glycol is currently chilled to -7.5°C. These chillers are alarmed by Argus™ but are controlled by their own internal system.

Hot Glycol Generation: There are two shell and tube steam heat exchangers used to heat glycol for the same plate heat exchangers. Glycol is currently warmed to 60°C. This system is under the control of the Argus™ system.

Regenerative air blowers: Three one HP Gast regenerative air blowers are used to provide aeration for fish tanks. Provision has been made to add a fourth air blower should the need arise. Argus™ controls the operation of these blowers two function at all times with a third as back-up. The system alternates blowers to provide even use. Argus has a pressure sensor located on the main line to monitor and alarm this system.

Marine water mixing station: The station comprises three 1 m³ plastic tanks, a 3 hp pump, a pressure switch and expansion tank. The level in the tanks is monitored by a level switch.

High pressure air: On-Campus Central Air is used to provide instrument air for the level sensors located in the research room sumps. Air is backed up by a single high pressure air compressor. At this time no air pressure sensor is located within this system.

Also located in this room is the Motor Control Center, and the recirculation and water treatment system for General Holding, Room 160.

This aquatic research room has three 1.8 m diameter fiberglass tanks and eight 0.6 m fiberglass diameter tanks located within the holding area. This room is designed to facilitate the study of aquatic thermal effects by providing up to three separate water temperatures.

Animal Holding Room

Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer. Air temperature in this room is monitored, but is not under the Argus™ system’s control.

Tanks: The 1.8 m tanks are equipped with dual stand pipes. The external standpipe sits higher than the water level in the tank. Holes have been drilled through the bottom of this pipe to effect a self cleaning action for the bottom of the tank. Water is drawn through these holes and up over the internal standpipe. The internal pipe must still be briefly removed either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up. The 0.6 m tanks have a cone shaped bottom, a perforated PVC screen is placed over this cone. The tanks are designed to self clean. Waste drops through the PVC and is drawn down into the drain line. The cone shape acts to keep the wastes from settling in the tank. These tanks are also equipped with an external standpipe. The standpipe for these tanks must also be removed briefly either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

Biofiltration: This room is provided with biofilters. The biofilters are located between the inflow lines and the 1.8m tanks. They are made of green ribbed PVC pipe with a perforated PVC screen on the bottom. Number ½ and 2 plastic Tri-packs™ fill the pipe. New biofilters need time to grow bacterial cultures. Nitrosomonas sp. grows first, converting ammonia to nitrite. There is a lag time before Nitrobacter sp. starts to grow. It is during the time that Nitrobacter sp. is becoming established that elevated levels of nitrite could become dangerous to fish. Nitrobacter sp. converts nitrite to nitrate a much less toxic form of organic nitrogen. Biofilters should not be allowed to dry out. This is particularly important in marine systems, dry-out will result in sterilization of the biofilter.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: Each room has five 115 V electrical circuits. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each has a duplex ground fault receptacle. A circuit breaker panel is located on the south wall inside the anteroom. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on manual for too long.

Anteroom

Room: The water treatment system is located in the anteroom and consists of a 2 m x 2 m x 1.5 m deep sump, two pumps, a sand filter with automatic backwash valve, a charcoal filter with manual backwash valve, a four bulb UV sterilizer and three plate heat exchangers. Water supplied to each of the 1.8 m tanks in this room first passes over a biofilter to convert ammonia to nitrate. The anteroom is also supplied with a sink with hot and cold domestic water, and cupboards above and below the sink for limited storage of chemicals and equipment. A fire extinguisher is located beside the door. Windows in the doors provide visual access to both rooms, the animal holding room door has a small door over the window.

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of three plate heat exchangers supplied with hot or cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchangers by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin. 

The computer control system regulates the position of two two-position three-way actuated valves to provide either hot or cold glycol. Actuated modulating valves regulate the amount of glycol supplied to each heat exchanger to maintain the target water temperatures. The range of water temperatures in this room is approximately 4°C - 25°C. The range of temperatures between heat exchangers for this room is restricted to the )T for the exchanger. The exchanger must be able to change the water from the mixed water temperature found within the sump to the set point in a single pass. Therefore the system can only handle temperature differences between heat exchangers of 3 - 4°C (e.g. 10°C, 13°C, 16°C). There is a small amount of flexibility in the system, which is governed by the flow rate of water through the exchanger and the surface area of the plates found in the exchanger itself. The Aqualab has spare plates to increase the capacity of the exchangers if the need arises.

Water Replacement: Water is added to the room’s recirculation system on a regular basis. The volume added is controlled by the Argus™ system which in turn controls the make-up water solenoid valve. The make-up water system is composed of a paddlewheel flow sensor and a solenoid valve on a 1" PVC supply line . Water is fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system into the room’s sump pit. 30,000 L of water are added in pulses of one minute duration 216 times a day. The number of pulses per day is determined by the volume of water that passes the paddlewheel flow sensor in one minute.

Water Recirculation: Water is recirculated around the room from the sump pit to the tanks and back again. Two pumps, located in the pump pit, pump water through the sand filter, the charcoal filter, the UV sterilizer, and the plate heat exchangers. After the water is filtered and the temperature is modified, it travels to the tanks in the animal holding room. Water overflows stand pipes located either within the tank or beside it and returns via drain lines to the sump pit. The drain lines are found in the trench. Each 1.8 m tank or each set of four 0.6 m tanks has a set of blade valves to direct flow either into the trench (for cleaning and disinfection) or back to the sump (for recirculation). Recirculation water flow is monitored by a paddle wheel flow sensor which is set to activate an alarm when flow drops below a preset level (Low Flow Alarm). The preset level is dependent upon the minimum required water flow.

Pump Pit: A float switch is located near the bottom of the pump pit to indicate water accumulation in this pit. This switch will activate an alarm as soon as it is triggered (Flooded Pump Pit Alarm). This alarm’s purpose is to protect the pumps from immersion in the event of a leak into the pump pit.

System Water Volume: The water level in the sump pit is monitored by an air pressure level sensor. When the water level drops below a preset point the make-up water solenoid valve opens. Water is added until the sump is once again full. If the water level drops below 70 cm in depth an alarm is activated (Low Water Level Alarm) and the make-up water solenoid opens. If the water level drops past 30 cm, the pumps will be turned off by the control system, to protect them from burnout. This will activate another alarm (Low Flow Alarm). When the water level rises above 30 cm the control system will reactivate the pumps, thereby restoring flow. When the water level rises above 70 cm the Low Water Level Alarm will be deactivated.

Room: These two rooms are located one behind the other. They are 20 m² environmental chambers. The rooms are functionally similar. Both have a supply of low and high pressure air, well water, domestic cold water (for cleaning). The sink in each room has a supply of domestic hot and cold water, and deionized water.

The walls, ceiling and fan units are stainless steel. The floor is a special hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. Water drains into a trench in the center of each room. This trench must be cleaned at the same time the room is cleaned.

The door for each room has a covered window built into it to allow inspection of the room without entry. The door covering the window should remain closed at all times while not in use. There is no handle located on the inside of the door. There are no catches to hold the door closed, only a mechanical door closure. There is provision to lock the door. If the door were to be locked while someone was still in the room, a release mechanism is located on the wall inside the room beside the door. Spin the knob until it comes completely off and push on the left side (181) or right side (181a) of the door until it opens.

Temperature control: Air temperature in these rooms ranges from 5°C - 25°C and is controlled by the Argus™ system. Temperatures are fully programable, the air temperature in these rooms follows a diurnal pattern, rising and dropping with the photoperiod. Temperature is monitored by a thermistor located within the room. The Air Temperature Deviation Alarm can be set to activate with as little as ± 1°C change.

Humidity Control: Room 181a has two jets to add a fine mist of water to the room. Humidity is additive only and fine control is not possible at this time.

Power: Each room has eight 115 V electrical circuits. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the receptacle. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall outside the chamber. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: These rooms have both fluorescent and incandescent lights in weatherproof fixtures. The rooms have fully programmable photoperiods (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up to full intensity, then the fluorescent lights turn on sequentially in three steps. At “dusk” the process reverses with the incandescent bulbs slowly ramping off at “sunset”. Photoperiod is monitored by a light sensor located in each room. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall outside Room 181. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on too long.

This room consists of two 2.1 m square fiberglass tanks, four 1.2 m round tanks, three 0.6 m round tanks and six 2.1 m long trays. The water is salt and the photoperiod is an emulation of St Andrews NB.

Animal Holding Room

Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

Air temperature in this room is monitored, but is not under the Argus™ system’s control.

Tanks: There are four 1.2 m tanks, equipped with dual stand pipes located in this room. The external standpipe sits higher than the water level in the tank. Holes have been drilled through the bottom of this pipe to effect a self cleaning action for the bottom of the tank. Water is drawn through these holes and up over the internal standpipe. The internal pipe must still be briefly removed either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

This room also has two banks of 2.1 m long fiberglass trays. Each bank consists of three trays.

There are three 0.6 m tanks which have a cone shaped bottom, a perforated PVC screen is placed over this cone. The tanks are designed to self clean. Waste drops through the PVC holes and is drawn down into the drain line. The cone shape acts to keep the wastes from settling in the tank. These tanks are also equipped with an external standpipe. The standpipe for these tanks must also be removed briefly either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: This room has five 115 V and two 220 V electrical circuits. There are two duplex receptacles per 115 V circuit. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the ground fault receptacles. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the anteroom. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on manual for too long.

Anteroom

Room: The water treatment system is located in the anteroom and consists of a 2 m x 2 m x 1.5 m deep sump with a gravel bed filter, two pumps, a sand filter with automatic backwash valve, a charcoal filter with manual backwash valve, a four bulb UV sterilizer and one plate heat exchanger.

The anteroom is also supplied with a sink with hot and cold domestic water, and cupboards above and below the sink for limited storage of chemicals and equipment. A fire extinguisher is located beside the door. Windows in the doors provide visual access to both rooms, the animal holding room door has a small door over the window.

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of one plate heat exchanger supplied with hot or cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchanger by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin.

The computer control system regulates the position of two two-position three-way actuated valves to provide either hot or cold glycol. An actuated modulating valve regulates the amount of glycol supplied to the heat exchanger to maintain the target water temperature. The range of water temperatures in this room is approximately 4°C - 25°C. There is a small amount of flexibility in the system, which is governed by the flow rate of water through the exchanger and the surface area of the plates found in the exchanger itself. The Aqualab has spare plates to increase the capacity of the exchanger if the need arises. Water temperature in this room is set for 10°C.

Water Replacement: Water is not added to this room’s recirculation system on a regular basis.

Water Recirculation: The salt water in this room is on 100% recirculation. Water is recirculated around the room from the sump pit to the tanks and back again. Two pumps, located in the pump pit, draw salt water through the gravel bed filter and pump it through the UV sterilizer, and the plate heat exchanger. After the water is filtered and the temperature is modified, it travels to the tanks in the animal holding room. Water overflows stand pipes located either within the tank or beside it and returns via drain lines to the sump pit. The drain lines are found in the trench. Each tank or each set of tanks has two blade valves to direct flow either into the trench (for cleaning and disinfection) or back to the sump (for recirculation).

Recirculation water flow is monitored by a paddle wheel flow sensor which is set to activate an alarm when flow drops below a preset level (Low Flow Alarm). The preset level is dependent upon the minimum required water flow.

Biofiltration: The biofiltration in this room is accomplished in the gravel bed located in the sump pit. New biofilters need time to grow bacterial cultures. Nitrosomonas sp. grows first, converting ammonia to nitrite. There is a lag time before Nitrobacter sp. starts to grow. It is during the time that Nitrobacter sp. is becoming established that elevated levels of nitrite could become dangerous to fish. Nitrobacter sp. converts nitrite to nitrate a much less toxic form of organic nitrogen.

Pump Pit: A float switch is located near the bottom of the pump pit to indicate water accumulation in this pit. This switch will activate an alarm as soon as it is triggered (Flooded Pump Pit Alarm). This alarm’s purpose is to protect the pumps from immersion in the event of a leak into the pump pit.

System Water Volume: The water level in the sump pit is monitored by an air pressure level sensor. If the water level drops below 70 cm in depth an alarm is activated (Low Water Level Alarm). If the water level drops past 30 cm, the pumps will be turned off by the control system, to protect them from burnout. This will activate another alarm (Low Flow Alarm). Water is not added automatically to this system, if water is lost Aqualab personnel must be notified.

This aquatic research room is set up inside an environmental chamber. The room itself is a stainless steel-lined Constant Temperature environmental chamber with air temperature control ranging between 5°C-30°C. This air temperature can be alarmed to ±1°C.

Animal Holding Room

Room: This room is a 40 m² environmental chamber. The walls, ceiling and fan units are stainless steel. The floor is a special hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

The door for animal holding room and the anteroom has a covered window built into it to allow inspection of the room without entry. The door covering the window should remain closed at all times while not in use. There are no handles located in the anteroom.

To exit the animal holding room push on the left side of the door until it opens.

There are no catches to hold the door closed, only a mechanical door closure. There is provision to lock the door. If the door were to be locked while someone was still in the room, a release mechanism is located on the wall inside the room beside the door. Spin the knob until it comes completely off and push on the left side of the door until it opens.

Temperature control: Air temperature in the animal holding portion of the room ranges from 5°C - 25°C and is controlled by the Argus™ system. Temperatures are fully programable, the air temperature could follow a diurnal pattern, rising and dropping with the photoperiod. Temperature is monitored by a thermistor located within the room. The Air Temperature Deviation Alarm can be set to activate with as little as ± 1°C change.

Tanks: There are three 1.2 m tanks, equipped with dual internal stand pipes located in this room. The outer standpipe sits higher than the water level in the tank. Holes have been drilled through the bottom of this pipe to effect a self cleaning action for the bottom of the tank. Water is drawn through these holes and up over the inner standpipe. The inner pipe must still be briefly removed either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

The nineteen 0.6 m tanks have cone shaped bottoms. A perforated PVC screen is placed over this cone to prevent fish from going down the drain. The tanks are designed to self clean. Waste drops through the PVC and is drawn down into the drain line. The cone shape acts to keep waste from settling in the tank. These tanks are also equipped with an external standpipe. The standpipe for these tanks must also be removed briefly either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

Biofiltration: This room is not provided with biofilters.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: This room has five 115 V and two 220 V electrical circuits. There are two duplex receptacles per 115 V circuit. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the ground fault receptacles. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the anteroom. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: This room has a combination of fluorescent and incandescent lights in weatherproof fixtures. The room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up to full intensity, then the fluorescent lights turn on sequentially in three steps. At “dusk” the process reverses with the incandescent bulbs slowly ramping off at “sunset” Photoperiod is monitored by a light sensor located in each room. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall outside Room 181. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on too long.

Anteroom

Room: The water treatment system is located in the anteroom and consists of a 2 m x 2 m x 1.5 m deep sump, two pumps, a sand filter with automatic backwash valve, a charcoal filter with manual backwash valve, a four bulb UV sterilizer and one plate heat exchanger.

The anteroom is also supplied with a sink with hot and cold domestic water, and cupboards above and below the sink for limited storage of chemicals and equipment. A fire extinguisher is located beside the door. Windows in the doors provide visual access to both rooms, the animal holding room door has a small door over the window.

To exit the anteroom push on the left side of the door until it opens.

There are no catches to hold the door closed, only a mechanical door closure. There is provision to lock the door. If the door were to be locked while someone was still in the room, a release mechanism is located on the wall inside the room beside the door. Spin the knob until it comes completely off and push on the left side of the door until it opens.

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of one plate heat exchanger supplied with hot or cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchanger by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin.

The computer control system regulates the position of two two-position three-way actuated valves to provide either hot or cold glycol. An actuated modulating valve regulates the amount of glycol supplied to the heat exchanger to maintain the target water temperature. The range of water temperatures in this room is approximately 3°C - 25°C. There is a small amount of flexibility in the system, which is governed by the flow rate of water through the exchanger and the surface area of the plates found in the exchanger itself. The Aqualab has spare plates to increase the capacity of the exchanger if the need arises. Water temperature in this room is set for 3°C.

Water Replacement: Water is added to the room’s recirculation system on a regular basis. The volume added is controlled by the Argus™ system which in turn controls the make-up water solenoid valve. The make-up water system is composed of a paddlewheel flow sensor and a solenoid valve on a 1" PVC supply line . Water is fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system into the room’s sump pit. Unlike the other rooms water is added to replace a specific volume of water that is wasted by the system. Water in this room never overflows the sump pit standpipe. This water leaves from a 1" line, controlled by the outflow solenoid, that is fed directly from the recirculation system after UV sterilization. 10,000 L of water is bled out in pulses of 30 sec duration 675 times a day. The number of pulses per day is determined by the volume of water that passes the outflow paddlewheel flow sensor in 30 seconds.

Water Recirculation: Water is recirculated around the room from the sump pit to the tanks and back again. Two pumps, located in the pump pit, pump water through the sand filter, the charcoal filter, the UV sterilizer, and the plate heat exchangers. After the water is filtered and the temperature is modified, it travels to the tanks in the animal holding room. Water overflows stand pipes located within each tank and returns via drain lines to the sump pit. The drain lines are found in the trench. Each set of trays has a set of blade valves to direct flow either into the trench (for cleaning and disinfection) or back to the sump (for recirculation). 

Recirculation water flow is monitored by a paddle wheel flow sensor which is set to activate an alarm when flow drops below a preset level (Low Flow Alarm). The preset level is dependent upon the minimum required water flow.

Pump Pit: A float switch is located near the bottom of the pump pit to indicate water accumulation in this pit. This switch will activate an alarm as soon as it is triggered (Flooded Pump Pit Alarm). This alarm’s purpose is to protect the pumps from immersion in the event of a leak into the pump pit.

System Water Volume: The water level in the sump pit is monitored by an air pressure level sensor. When the water level drops below a preset point the make-up water solenoid valve opens. Water is added until the sump is once again full. If the water level drops below 70 cm in depth an alarm is activated (Low Water Level Alarm) and the make-up water solenoid opens. If the water level drops past 30 cm, the pumps will be turned off by the control system, to protect them from burnout. This will activate another alarm (Low Flow Alarm). When the water level rises above 30 cm the control system will reactivate the pumps, thereby restoring flow. When the water level rises above 70 cm the Low Water Level Alarm will be deactivated.

Animal Holding Room

Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

Air temperature in this room is monitored, but is not under the Argus™ system’s control.

Tanks: There are sixteen 1.2 m long tanks arranged in racks of four tanks each, each tank has an internal standpipe. There are also six 1.5 m long tanks arranged in banks two tanks high, each with internal standpipes. Two of these tanks have double standpipes such that they can have the temperature modified external from the main recirculation system.

Biofiltration: The biofiltration in this room is accomplished in the gravel bed located in the sump pit. New biofilters need time to grow bacterial cultures. Nitrosomonas sp. grows first, converting ammonia to nitrite. There is a lag time before Nitrobacter sp. starts to grow. It is during the time that Nitrobacter sp. is becoming established that elevated levels of nitrite could become dangerous to fish. Nitrobacter sp. converts nitrite to nitrate a much less toxic form of organic nitrogen.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: This room has five 115 V and two 220 V electrical circuits. There are two duplex receptacles per 115 V circuit. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the ground fault receptacles. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the anteroom. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on manual for too long.

Anteroom

Room: The water treatment system is located in the anteroom and consists of a 2 m x 2 m x 1.5 m deep sump, two pumps, a four bulb UV sterilizer and one plate heat exchanger.

The anteroom is also supplied with a sink with hot and cold domestic water, and cupboards above and below the sink for limited storage of chemicals and equipment. A fire extinguisher is located beside the door. Windows in the doors provide visual access to both rooms, the animal holding room door has a small door over the window.

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of one plate heat exchanger supplied with hot or cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchanger by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin.

The computer control system regulates the position of two two-position three-way actuated valves to provide either hot or cold glycol. An actuated modulating valve regulates the amount of glycol supplied to the heat exchanger to maintain the target water temperature. The range of water temperatures in this room is approximately 4°C - 25°C. There is a small amount of flexibility in the system, which is governed by the flow rate of water through the exchanger and the surface area of the plates found in the exchanger itself. The Aqualab has spare plates to increase the capacity of the exchanger if the need arises. Water temperature in this room is set for 13°C.

Water Replacement: Water is added to the room’s recirculation system on a regular basis. The volume added is controlled by the Argus™ system which in turn controls the make-up water solenoid valve. The make-up water system is composed of a paddlewheel flow sensor and a solenoid valve on a 1" PVC supply line . Water is fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system into the room’s sump pit. 50,000 L of water are added in pulses of one minute duration, 325 times a day. The number of pulses per day is determined by the volume of water that passes the paddlewheel flow sensor in one minute.

Water Recirculation: Water is recirculated around the room from the sump pit to the tanks and back again. Two pumps, located in the pump pit, draw water through a gravel bed filter located in the sump pit. Water is then pumped through the UV sterilizers, and the plate heat exchanger. After the water is filtered, sterilized and the temperature is modified, it travels to the tanks in the animal holding room. Water overflows stand pipes located either within the tank or beside it and returns via drain lines to the sump pit. The drain lines are found in the trench. Each 1.2 m tank and each set of 0.6 m tanks has a set of blade valves to direct flow either into the trench (for cleaning and disinfection) or back to the sump (for recirculation).

Recirculation water flow is monitored by a paddle wheel flow sensor which is set to activate an alarm when flow drops below a preset level (Low Flow Alarm). The preset level is dependent upon the minimum required water flow.

Pump Pit: A float switch is located near the bottom of the pump pit to indicate water accumulation in this pit. This switch will activate an alarm as soon as it is triggered (Flooded Pump Pit Alarm). This alarm’s purpose is to protect the pumps from immersion in the event of a leak into the pump pit.

System Water Volume: The water level in the sump pit is monitored by an air pressure level sensor. When the water level drops below a preset point the make-up water solenoid valve opens. Water is added until the sump is once again full. If the water level drops below 70 cm in depth an alarm is activated (Low Water Level Alarm) and the make-up water solenoid opens. If the water level drops past 30 cm, the pumps will be turned off by the control system, to protect them from burnout. This will activate another alarm (Low Flow Alarm). When the water level rises above 30 cm the control system will reactivate the pumps, thereby restoring flow. When the water level rises above 70 cm the Low Water Level Alarm will be deactivated.

Animal Holding Room

Animal Holding Room

Room: The walls are epoxy coated concrete block and the floor is a specially hardened concrete to prevent water penetration. There is a grate covered trench located along the center of the room. The drain line for the tanks is located within this trench, as is a drain to the sanitary sewer.

Air temperature in this room is monitored, but is not under the Argus™ system’s control.

Tanks: The 1.2 m tanks are equipped with dual internal stand pipes. The outer standpipe sits higher than the water level in the tank. Holes have been drilled through the bottom of this pipe to effect a self cleaning action for the bottom of the tank. Water is drawn through these holes and up over the inner standpipe. The inner pipe must still be briefly removed either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

The 0.6 m tanks have a cone shaped bottom, a perforated PVC screen is placed over this cone to prevent fish from going down the drain. The tanks are designed to self clean. Waste drops through the PVC and is drawn down into the drain line. The cone shape acts to keep waste from settling in the tank. These tanks are also equipped with external stand pipes The inner standpipe for these tanks must also be removed briefly either every day or every few days depending upon internal load of fish, to clear waste build-up.

Biofiltration: This room is provided with biofilters. The biofilters are located between the inflow lines and the 1.2m tanks. They are made of green ribbed PVC pipe with a perforated PVC screen on the bottom. № ½ and № 2 plastic Tri-packs™ fill the pipe. New biofilters need time to grow bacterial cultures. Nitrosomonas sp. grows first, converting ammonia to nitrite. There is a lag time before Nitrobacter sp. starts to grow. It is during the time that Nitrobacter sp. is becoming established that elevated levels of nitrite could become dangerous to fish. Nitrobacter sp. converts nitrite to nitrate a much less toxic form of organic nitrogen.

Biofilters should not be allowed to dry out. This is particularly important in marine systems, dry-out will result in sterilization of the biofilter.

Aeration: Low pressure air for tank aeration is supplied through black ABS pipe that circles the room. Air is supplied from three 1 hp Gast regenerative air blowers located in room 174.

Power: This room has five 115 V and two 220 V electrical circuits. There are two duplex receptacles per 115 V circuit. These are located around the perimeter of the room. Each circuit has a duplex ground fault receptacle. If power is lost to a receptacle, check the buttons located in the middle of the ground fault receptacles. If one is sticking out, press it back in to reset the power. If power is lost again, report it to Aqualab personnel. A circuit breaker panel is located on the wall in the anteroom. Please do not open this panel without proper authorization.

Lights: Lighting in this room is provided by weatherproof incandescent fixtures. This room has a fully programmable photoperiod (i.e., the photoperiod can be programmed to emulate that found at any latitude in the world or any artificial photoperiod that the researcher requires). At “dawn” the incandescent bulbs slowly ramp up in intensity, and at “dusk” they slowly dim. The time required to ramp to full intensity and the final intensity of the lights is programmable. The Photoperiod Alarm is set to activate if the lights do not turn on or off as the program requires. The lights can be turned on manually from the Argus™ panel located in the hall. An alarm situation will occur if the lights are left on manual for too long.

Anteroom

Room: The water treatment system is located in the anteroom and consists of a PRA rotating screen filter, a 2 m x 2 m x 1.5 m deep sump complete with a gravel bed filter, two pumps, a pair of Trojan one bulb UV sterilizers and three plate heat exchangers.

The anteroom is also supplied with a sink with hot and cold domestic water, and cupboards above and below the sink for limited storage of chemicals and equipment. A fire extinguisher is located beside the door. Windows in the doors provide visual access to both rooms, the animal holding room door has a small door over the window.

Water Temperature Control: Water temperature is controlled and monitored by the Argus™ system and consists of three plate heat exchangers supplied with hot or cold glycol. Water temperature is monitored going in and out of the exchangers by thermistors located in the pipes. These thermistors are set to activate an alarm (Water Temperature Deviation Alarm) if the water temperature deviates from the target temperature by a preset margin.

The computer control system regulates the position of two two-position three-way actuated valves to provide either hot or cold glycol. Actuated modulating valves regulate the amount of glycol supplied to each heat exchanger to maintain the target water temperatures. The range of water temperatures in this room is approximately 4°C - 25°C. The range of temperatures between heat exchangers for this room is restricted to the ΔT for the exchanger. The exchanger must be able to change the water from the mixed water temperature found within the sump to the set point in a single pass. Therefore the system can only handle temperature differences between heat exchangers of 3 - 4°C (e.g. 10°C, 13°C, 16°C). There is a small amount of flexibility in the system, which is governed by the flow rate of water through the exchanger and the surface area of the plates found in the exchanger itself. The Aqualab has spare plates to increase the capacity of the exchangers if the need arises.

Water Replacement: Water is added to the room’s recirculation system on a regular basis. The volume added is controlled by the Argus™ system which in turn controls the make-up water solenoid valve. The make-up water system is composed of a paddlewheel flow sensor and a solenoid valve on a 1" PVC supply line . Water is fed directly from Aqualab’s pre-filtration system into the room’s sump pit. 60,000 L of water are added in pulses of one minute duration 429 times a day. The number of pulses per day is determined by the volume of water that passes the paddlewheel flow sensor in one minute.

Water Recirculation: Water is recirculated around the room from the sump pit to the tanks and back again. Waste water enters the sump pit by first passing through a rotating screen filter. This filter removes the large particulate material (excess feed and faeces)from the water stream and directs it to the waste water sump pit in room 174. The water is then drawn through a gravel bed filter by the recirculation pumps, located in the pump pit. Water is then pumped through the UV sterilizers and the plate heat exchangers. After the water is filtered, sterilized and the temperature modified, it travels to the tanks in the animal holding room. Water overflows stand pipes located either within the tank or beside it and returns via drain lines to the sump pit. The drain lines are found in the trench. Each 1.2 m tank or each set of four 0.6 m tanks has a set of blade valves to direct flow either into the trench (for cleaning and disinfection) or back to the sump (for recirculation).

Recirculation water flow is monitored by a paddle wheel flow sensor which is set to activate an alarm when flow drops below a preset level (Low Flow Alarm). The preset level is dependent upon the minimum required water flow.

Pump Pit: A float switch is located near the bottom of the pump pit to indicate water accumulation in this pit. This switch will activate an alarm as soon as it is triggered (Flooded Pump Pit Alarm). This alarm’s purpose is to protect the pumps from immersion in the event of a leak into the pump pit.

System Water Volume: The water level in the sump pit is monitored by an air pressure level sensor. When the water level drops below a preset point the make-up water solenoid valve opens. Water is added until the sump is once again full. If the water level drops below 70 cm in depth an alarm is activated (Low Water Level Alarm) and the make-up water solenoid opens. If the water level drops past 30 cm, the pumps will be turned off by the control system, to protect them from burnout. This will activate another alarm (Low Flow Alarm). When the water level rises above 30 cm the control system will reactivate the pumps, thereby restoring flow. When the water level rises above 70 cm the Low Water Level Alarm will be deactivated.