TCF Aerovent provides fans for NASA Space Shuttle Program

2010 is
the final year for NASA's aging space shuttle fleet. As
each orbitor returns to earth from its final voyage, it is greeted by
products manufactured by TCF Aerovent, a partner vendor of Fluid
Engineering. 

Once the orbitor lands at the end of a mission, the Shuttle Landing
Fleet of vehicles keep systems on the orbitor operating while it
progresses through checkout stages. One of the fleet support systems is a
portable air conditioning unit. TCF Aerovent supplied twenty (20) panel
fans for each of three (3) of these portable air conditioning units. 

The existing cooling
air supply units were not performing to specifications and required new
fans and
coils. The fans and coils had to bolt to an existing shroud and provide
substantially
higher performance. The
seacoast environment required special materials and
coatings for corrosion protection. Quality, performance, and delivery
were very
critical requirements of the specifications.

Each of the three units required sixteen (16) 30" DDP
condenser
fans
and four (4) 16" DDP
precooling fans
for a total of sixty (60)
fans. The motors were severe wash down duty with stainless steel
housings,
shafts, and hardware. The fans were all welded aluminum construction
fabricated
to fit the existing shrouds. The coating was a white Ameron paint that
required
sandblasting, an Amerlock 400 primer and an Ameron PSX700 topcoat. 

In addition to the extensive documentation and testing
requirements, NASA STD-5008 required a Certified National Association of
Corrosion Engineers (NACE)
Inspection of all of the fans. Aerovent
hired a NACE
certified company out of Pompano Beach,
Florida to perform the
inspections and to provide the certified reports. Aerovent provided a
full-time
QC person to work with the NACE inspector. Together, they reviewed the
specifications and inspected everything from surface
preparation to measuring dry film thicknesses (DFT) on each fan. The
painting and inspection process
took a total of six days. The detailed report states that "all work was
performed in strict accordance with specifications and in a professional
manner." 

For the past five years, the Aerovent units have been
operating during landing and recovery of the space shuttle fleet. NASA
remains
very satisfied with the quality of Aerovent's products and the units are
performing to specifications.

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