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Emergency procedures

Read this before the emergency. Looking it up while it's happening is too late.

General principles

  1. Stop the motor first. Almost every wind-tunnel emergency gets worse with airflow continuing.
  2. Then call for help if anyone is hurt or anything is on fire.
  3. Then secure the area — keep others out, keep yourself out of the exhaust path and the test section.
  4. Then document when it is safe to do so.

Stopping the motor

Three independent paths. Use whichever you can reach first.

Path Speed Effect
Software E-Stop (red button in ADCL WinSoft) Fastest if the PC is responsive. Drive coasts to zero, no ramp.
Software Stop (Stop Tunnel button) Slower (ramp time, typically a few seconds). Drive decelerates per its ramp. Use for routine stops, not emergencies.
Main switch (wall, next to computer station) Slow electromechanical operation but always works. Drive de-energizes; motor coasts.

If the software is unresponsive or you cannot reach the PC: mains kill.

Specific scenarios

Person in the airflow path or test section

  1. Mains kill — don't bother trying the software.
  2. Verbally direct them out of the area.
  3. Confirm motor has stopped (no fan noise, no airflow).
  4. Triage any injury; dial 911 if needed.
  5. Do not restart the tunnel that day. Open WT_MS_<n>/debug_session.md.

Visible flames, smoke from the VFD, or smell of burning electrical insulation

  1. Mains kill.
  2. Evacuate to outside the lab. Pull the building fire alarm if the fire is more than a small smolder.
  3. Call 911.
  4. Do not re-enter to retrieve equipment.
  5. After the response, contact UCI EH&S 949-824-6200 and the PI before any further use of the facility.

Person reports respiratory irritation, eye irritation, coughing during a smoke run

  1. Smoke generator OFF.
  2. Software Stop the tunnel (a normal ramp-stop is appropriate; the immediate hazard is the smoke, not the airflow).
  3. Open the lab door for ventilation. Walk the affected person to fresh air.
  4. If symptoms persist, dial 911. UCI EH&S 949-824-6200 for follow-up.
  5. Do not resume runs until you understand whether the smoke setting was excessive or the ventilation is insufficient.

Suspected laser eye exposure (someone looked into the beam)

  1. Laser OFF immediately (disable the supply output).
  2. Walk the affected person out of the laser path.
  3. If any visual symptoms (afterimage persisting more than a minute, blurred vision, eye pain), seek medical attention. 911 for serious symptoms.
  4. Report to the UCI Laser Safety Officer: nerib@uci.edu, radsafety@uci.edu.
  5. Do not resume laser use until cleared.

Drive fault that will not reset

  1. Mains kill to de-energize.
  2. Wait at least 5 minutes before opening the enclosure.
  3. Read the fault code from the keypad before powering back on.
  4. Escalate to a contributor; consult the contributor manual's Faults and alarms page.
  5. Do not repeatedly reset the same fault — it indicates a real condition.

Loud unusual noise from the motor or fan

  1. Software Stop (you do not need to coast it if nothing is in danger).
  2. Wait for full stop.
  3. Mains kill.
  4. Inspect for anything loose or rubbing. Do not restart until the noise source is identified.

Total power loss to the lab

  1. The drive will coast down naturally.
  2. The PC may shut down ungracefully; that is fine — settings are persisted on each clean shutdown, so worst case the next launch is identical to the previous one.
  3. When power returns, do not auto-resume runs. Do a full pre-run checklist and stop-path verification before starting again.

Reporting

Within 24 hours of any of the above, open a WT_MS_<n>/debug_session.md and email the PI with:

  • what happened;
  • what you did;
  • what the system state was at the time;
  • what should change so this is less likely next time.

UCI EH&S incident reporting is at safety@uci.edu / 949-824-6200.