Trane Gas Test Stand Automation & Cycle Time Reduction

Mechatronic automation can eliminate many of the errors induced by manual, technician-operated controls, improving experiment quality. As such, automation of the Trane Gas Lab's furnace testing devices will improve the quality of experiment data and reduce the time needed to complete a test, increasing productivity. To achieve this, the existing air shutters used in furnace testing were retrofitted using mechatronic equipment and computer controls to increase the efficiency of testing operations and remove the error introduced by human technicians. Compared to technician operated tests, the control devices developed have reduced the time required to perform the tests while significantly increasing data quality.