Feasibility of Energy Efficient Processing Technology for Wool Natural Fibre Composites to Create a Sustainable Modular Construction Panel (EEWC-Modular)

一项涉及16000名员工的研究表明，当允许员工在家工作时，他们的工作效率提高了22%。减少员工的通勤减少了每个员工与旅行相关的碳足迹。在英国，大约每14个人中就有1个人每天上下班两次，每年上下班250次，相当于每人每年排放约795公斤的二氧化碳。EEWC-Modular为以下客户提供了一个解决方案：在当前的运营场所有空间限制，希望利用远程办公的好处，在后花园和/或公共环境中提供方便的工作和会议空间。我们正在探索大型雇主为公司提供eewc模块化家庭办公室而不是公司汽车的可能性。EEWC-Modular提议研究1)羊毛基复合材料的技术和商业可行性；2)快速且具有成本效益的开腔压力机（OCP）复合材料加工技术；3)合成技术作为可持续建筑材料的适用性。最终目标是在不到10分钟的循环时间内生产阻燃，编织羊毛，基于复合材料的部件，而不使用预浸料，高压灭菌器或昂贵的工具。EEWC-Modular提出大幅降低加工能源和资本成本，使羊毛基复合材料能够在轻型模块化建筑应用（家庭办公舱、教室、食品店、农业等）和其他中小量应用中成本有效地商业化。目前英国43.9亿英镑的复合材料产品市场（2019年Lucintel为Innovate UK报告）有机会到2030年增长到120亿英镑（参考：英国复合材料市场研究）。增长最快的行业是航空航天，复合年增长率为25%，石油和天然气复合年增长率为55%，建筑复合年增长率为11%（参考：国家复合材料中心）。为了满足这一不断增长的市场，拟议的eewc -模块化项目将为一系列复合模块化建筑产品提供灵活且具有成本效益的制造工艺。eewc模块化OCP流程非常灵活，可以实现更大的定制和快速进入新市场。加工站将由高压和高温柔性EPDM膜片工具组成，用于在开腔工具中将低粘度生物树脂强制和固化成干燥的纺织品。创新的eewc -模块化OCP工艺旨在实现低于2%的空隙含量，具有极快的循环时间，并且与许多替代的高压灭菌器生产系统相比，能源成本显著降低（不使用自动化生产单元至少降低50%）。

A study involving 16,000 employees showed that when allowed to work from home, employees **increased their productivity by 22%**. Reduced commuting of employees reduces the travel associated carbon footprint per employee. Approximately 1 in 14 people in the UK's workforce commute twice a day, 250 times a year, translating to about 795Kgs of CO2 per person every year.EEWC-Modular has a solution for clients who: have space limitations in their current place of operation, looking to capitalize on the benefits of teleworking, offering convenient work and meeting spaces in back gardens and/or public environments. We are exploring the possibility of large employers offering company EEWC-Modular home offices rather than company cars.EEWC-Modular proposes to research 1) the technical and commercial feasibility of a wool-based composite 2) a rapid and cost effective Open Cavity Press (OCP) composite processing technology 3) suitability of the resultant technology as a sustainable construction material. The ultimate aim is to produce a fire retardant, woven wool, based composite part within a sub 10 minute cycle time without using prepreg, an autoclave or expensive tooling. EEWC-Modular proposes to provide a significant reduction in processing energy and capital cost to enable wool-based composites to be cost effectively commercialised in lightweight modular construction applications (home office pods, classrooms, food outlet, agricultural etc.) and other low-medium volume applications.The current UK £4.39bn composite product market (2019 Lucintel report for Innovate UK) has the opportunity to grow to £12bn by 2030 (Ref: UK Composites Market Study). The highest growth sectors are aerospace 25% CAGR, oil & gas 55% CARG and construction 11% CARG (Ref: National Composites Centre). To meet this growing market the proposed EEWC-Modular project will provide a flexible and cost effective manufacturing process for a range of composite modular construction products.The EEWC-Modular OCP process is extremely flexible to enable greater customisation and rapid entry to new markets. The processing station will consist of a high pressure and high temperature flexible EPDM diaphragm tool to force and cure low viscosity bio-resin into a dry textile in an open cavity tool.The innovative EEWC-Modular OCP process aims to achieve a void content of less than 2%, with extremely fast cycle times, and at significantly lower energy costs (at least 50% less without the use of an automated production cell) than many alternative autoclave production systems.