handbook

SUSTAIN Laboratory Handbook

This document outlines the safety and work procedures for the SUSTAIN Laboratory. Please read it before engaging in laboratory work.

• Safety
  • COVID-19
  • General
• Operations
  • SUSTAIN wind-wave tank
  • ASIST wind-wave tank
• Tools
• Instruments
• Getting help

Safety

COVID-19

Before arriving to the lab for the first time, please read the following documents that outline the safety procedures related to COVID-19:

• Univerisity of Miami Standard Operating Procedure Faculty Guide
• SUSTAIN Standard Operating Procedure for Research Ramp-up

Ensure to follow these procedures while on campus. Further, as COVID-19 regulations change often, stay up-to-date and follow the procedures set by the University of Miami.

General

• Watch your step. Floors can be wet and/or have hardware, tools, or cables on them.
• Ascend and descend the catwalk stairs always facing forward and with both hands on the rails.
• Clean up after yourself.
• Return tools after use.
• Don’t leave power cables or pressure tubes laying on the ground floor, especially if connected and powered.
• Secure any cables, wires, or pressure tubing:
  • Use cable guides if possible.
  • If the cable crosses a walkway, secure it with zip-ties and mark it with tape.
• In areas that are busy with cables and/or pressure tubes such as top of SUSTAIN, pay special attention to not step on them.
• Check that all tank panels are closed and secured (with bolts for SUSTAIN or clamps for ASIST) before running any wind generator
• Don’t leave the lab front door propped open.

Operations

Before conducting an experiment in either the ASIST or the SUSTAIN tank, fill out the Experiment design sheet and share it with the group at sustainlabcaf@miamiedu.onmicrosoft.com.

SUSTAIN wind-wave tank

Running the wind generator

The SUSTAIN wind generator is controlled by the control panel on the northeast side of the first floor of SUSTAIN, and by the computer on the second-floor catwalk. Please contact us if you need to run the wind generator for the first time.

Notifying the community of SUSTAIN operations

The SUSTAIN wind generator creates loud noise and ejects spray through the outlet when run at high speed. This can negatively impact our neighbors at RSMAS and/or Seaquarium next door. To ensure that we don’t disrupt others’ work, we use the following procedure to notify them of SUSTAIN operations:

• If the wind generator is to be run at fan speeds higher than 15 Hz, send an email to sustainops@listserv.miami.edu with the following information:
  • Date and time when the fan will run
  • Fresh or seawater
  • Is spray expected or not
• Further, if you anticipate generating seawater spray, use the orange cones (located at the bottom floor of the staircase in the rear of SUSTAIN) to divert traffic into the garage and away from the back of the SUSTAIN outlet.

Here’s an example email:

To: sustainops@listserv.miami.edu
Subject: Saltwater spray and high wind today from 3 to 5 pm

We'll run the SUSTAIN wind fan today from 3 to 5 pm.

Salt water. There will be spray.

We'll divert vehicle traffic through the MTLSS garage starting from 3:30pm.

To send and email to this list, your email needs to be on the list of allowed senders. Please email Darren O’Neal at doneal@rsmas.miami.edu and CC Brian Haus or Milan Curcic to request getting on the SUSTAIN Operations email list.

Safety

Before running the SUSTAIN wind generator, please ensure that

• All hatches are closed and locked with bolts
• The door at the inlet is closed and locked
• Any instruments inside the tank are secured to the walls or the beach
• No tools are left in the tank
• There are no people in the tank

Running the wave generator

The SUSTAIN wave generator is operated from the computer on the second-floor catwalk. Please contact us if you need to run the wave generator for the first time.

Draining the water from the tank

• The valves are located on both ends (inlet and outlet) of SUSTAIN, on the first floor (under the tank).
• The water should be drained using the appropriate valve depending on whether it’s fresh water or seawater in the tank.
• When opening a valve, ensure that the water outflow is slow enough to not overflow the first-floor drains.

ASIST wind-wave tank

TODO

Running the wind generator

TODO

Running the wave generator

TODO

Runing the water pump

TODO

Tools

You can find tools at three locations in the lab:

1. Tool rack in the main room on the first floor (next to the ASIST tank)
2. Tool bench in the pump room on the first floor
3. Tool rack and bench on top of the SUSTAIN tank (third floor)

Most tools are redundant between locations 1 and 3. Please use the tools from a location that is nearest to where you’re working at. For example, if you’re working on ASIST, use the tools from locations 1 or 2. If you’re working on top of SUSTAIN, use the tools from location 3. If you need to use tools from multiple locations, please return each tool to its home after use.

Instruments

Please contact us if you need help using any specific instrument.

Getting help

Please contact lab staff if you need any help in SUSTAIN.

• Brian Haus (Professor & Lab lead), bhaus@miami.edu
• Neil Williams (Scientist), nwilliams@cstars.miami.edu
• Jacob Rice (Marine Technical Specialist), jbr107@miami.edu
• Ryland Lewis (Marine Technical Specialist), jrl303@miami.edu
• Cedric Guigand (Senior Research Associate), cguigand@rsmas.miami.edu
• Milan Curcic (Assistant Scientist), mcurcic@miami.edu
• Sanchit Mehta (Postdoctoral Associate), sanchit.mehta@rsmas.miami.edu
• Hanjing Dai (PhD Student), hdai@rsmas.miami.edu
• Peisen Tan (PhD Student), peisen.tan@rsmas.miami.edu