Abstract
This study employs the developed simulation software for the energy use of the high-tech fabrication plant (hereafter referred as a fab) to examine six energy-saving approaches for the make-up air unit (MAU) of a TFT-LCD (thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display) fab. The studied approaches include: (1) Approach 1: adjust the set point of dry bulb temperature and relative humidity in the cleanroom; (2) Approach 2: lower the flow rate of supply air volume in the MAU; (3) Approach 3: use a draw-through type instead of push through type MAU; (4) Approach 4: combine the two stage cooling coils in MAU to a single stage coil; (5) Approach 5: reduce the original MAU exit temperature from 16.5 °C to 14.5 °C; and (6) Approach 6: avoid an excessive increase in pressure drop over the filter by replacing the HEPA filter more frequently. The simulated results are further compared to the measured data of the studied TFT-LCD fab in Taiwan. The simulated results showed that Approach 1 exhibits more significant influence on annual power consumption than the other approaches. The advantage/disadvantage of each approach is elaborated. The impact of the six approaches on the annual power consumption of the fab is also discussed.
Highlights
Large-scale high-tech cleanrooms need conditioned air from the ambient environment to maintain a positive pressure
This paper aims to compare the effects of the six energy-saving approaches for make-up air unit (MAU) in a fab and to identify the best energy-saving approaches
The simulated results are further compared to the measured data of the studied TFT-LCD fab in Taiwan
Summary
Large-scale high-tech cleanrooms need conditioned air from the ambient environment to maintain a positive pressure. Humidity in large-scale high-tech cleanrooms is often controlled by a dedicated MAU which consists of a fan, two stage cooling coils, a heating coil (or heater), filters, and a humidifier. The steam humidification process is a quasi-isothermal process, which needs heat energy to generate steam. The mist humidification process is an isenthalpic process, which draws evaporation energy from the air. Outdoor air needs to be pre-heated to a temperature that has the same enthalpy as off-coil saturation condition. MAU output air has a temperature range of 14–17 ◦C, and the humidity is controlled at 9.65 × 10−3 kg/kg for TFT-LCD (thin-film transistor liquid-crystal display) fabrication plants.
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