LLNL National Ignition Facility (NIF)

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories
Livermore, CA

Evaluation of the design and construction of HVAC systems for the largest laser facility in the world. The purpose of the evaluation and the report and recommendations was to determine the reasons for inadequate performance of the HVAC systems responsible for controlling the environment (strict temperature, noise and vibration control is required). Field studies, in-situ testing and theoretical/practical evaluation of the various HVAC systems in this building with more than 200,000 square feet of area were accomplished. The field tests were correlated to theoretical evaluations to determine if the test results could be relied upon as a basis for recommendations. A detailed report was developed to explain the methodology and the findings to a highly technical client that was not conversant with the details of HVAC system design, construction or operation. The report provided prioritized recommendations for potential implementation by LLNL.