The COVID-19 Pandemic seems to have affected almost every aspect of life. From studying ways that building HVAC can clean air to designing new emergency medical equipment, engineers around the world took the opportunity to look for opportunities to help.
Forward Engineers had the opportunity to work with the University of Calgary, Emmaus Group and Benchmark Group to propose a design for a pandemic ventilator: a low cost ventilator using simple off-the-shelf components for use by developing countries in their fight against COVID-19. This ventilator was based on existing technologies and used a shop-vac to create a negative pressure chamber. A plumbing valve provided control over the pressure in the chamber and allowed the device to cycle. While this type of engineering is certainly not typical of what we do at Forward Engineers, it was very exciting to see everyone use their strengths to move the project forward. Be sure to check out the University of Calgary’s website to see what our combined efforts produced.
In the world of HVAC, engineers that had been studying ways to reduce airborne viruses and particulates used their experience to propose technologies that could reduce the risk of infection in not only hospitals but in regular businesses and homes as well. In addition to highly effective filters, active technologies that kill viruses can treat the air stream prior to distributing it to the building. Simple solutions like closely monitoring and controlling humidity can reduce the risk of infection for many types of ailments.
Forward Engineers is based in Rogers, AR and specializes in commercial building mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) design. If you are seeking to work with an engineering firm that is client-centered and strives to provides services that are on time, on budget and exceed expectations, be sure to contact us. We would love to work with you on your next project!
