PNNL

The Arctic Laboratory at PNNL-Sequim has a 320 ft² freezer laboratory that maintains air temperatures of 0°C to -15°C. It is equipped with a supplemental 3.95-ton recirculating elthylene glycol chilling system (-35°C) to supercool seawater tanks in the lab. The tanks have a 1,100-liter raceway equipped with a paddlewheel and a recirculating pump system that generates turbulence, which allows researchers to form frazil ice. This lab also has additional seawater tanks of up to 1,800 liters and bench space for work with aquatic and sediment mesocosms (e.g., permafrost studies). We continually monitor the air quality in the ice lab because the laboratory was designed for research with crude oil (particularly to study environmental effects, sensors, and cleanup methods). An activated-charcoal air filter with snorkels and a 175-cfm flow rate removes harmful VOCs.