Research and development in our own laboratory
Background information
on the development process
Our aspiration is to set new standards in the field of technical drying after water damage.
With this aim in mind, since the establishment of the company, we operate a vast and comprehensive laboratory environment in which we strongly focus on continuous research in the field of water damage restoration as well as product development. Significant findings and expertise in quick, efficient and long-term drying are gained in the laboratory environment by simulating water damage and subsequently executing the drying process.
Intelligently controlled intermittent drying
with infrared radiation
Infrared radiation is a long-wave radiation with wavelengths between 780 nm and 1 mm, hence - in contrast to micro-wave radiation - it is not harmful to human beings. The most common source of infrared radiation is the sun. Infrared radiation causes molecules to vibrate. The energy transmitted via this radiation increases the temperature of the irradiated body.
This effect is used in technical drying with the use of infrared heating panels. The radiation is well absorbed by the wall and particularly well by the water it contains. In conventional, uncontrolled and non-regulated infrared drying applications, the low penetration depth of the infrared radiation into the material represents a significant disadvantage and limit to this technology. In such applications, the maximum temperature at the wall surface is reached very quickly while the heat does not penetrate the inside of the wall. The quick initial drying effect, thanks to the transport of liquid water by capillary action in the pores of the material is rapidly interrupted by the drying out of the upper material layers. Further drying can only take place by using the significantly slower and more energy-intensive principle of water vapour diffusion through the pores of the material.
HyDry® equipment ensures intelligent control and regulation based on current process parameters in order to intensify the drying effects as much as possible. Consequently, the infrared drying becomes quicker, safer, more efficient and long-term.
Monitoring and dynamic control
of floor drying
Working hours and travel expenses are the main cost drivers of floating screed insulating layer drying. The automation of moisture measurements, MID certified power consumption measurement and project documentation allows the required working time to be significantly reduced.
The communication with the Box via NB IoT offers a reliable remote access to the drying system, even in basements of buildings where conventional equipment would rapidly reach its limits. Thanks to the free web portal, the drying progress and the end of the drying process can be determined reliably and remotely, with the entire drying work being executed with only 2 trips to the site. Particularly in the context of the current pandemic, there is a significant advantage in being able to reduce social contact to a minimum during drying applications.
The Box is compatible with any existing drying system; you can continue using your existing equipment.
Depending on the situation, the user can choose between simple data recording without regulation or data recording with a regulation of heating intervals based on the data collected.
The options of automatic switch-off for the night and receiving notifications should alarm values be exceeded are included as standard.
Laboratory of the HyDry® Infrared unit
Different measurement techniques are used for drying progress monitoring. In order to exactly determine the moisture content of the wall, the walls are placed on scales.
The decrease of weight is measured over time, allowing us to calculate how much moisture has dried and, consequently, the absolute water content of the wall.
For comparison, indirect methods used in the field, such as the hygroscopic moisture measurement, the capacitive moisture measurement, resistance measurements and additional temperature measurements, are applied as well. During laboratory tests, the ambient conditions inside the climatic chamber are kept constant and monitored.
Laboratory of the HyDry® Box
A dedicated laboratory environment was created for the development of the HyDry® Remote Control Unit. The purpose-built climatic chamber allows constant ambient conditions to be set and monitored.
The test stand with a floating screed insulating layer construction has a 20 square meter surface and can be flooded entirely but also selectively. Thanks to the modular construction, the results can be checked easily and rapidly, even directly at the different materials of the screed. The test stand measures and records the development of the drying process via a high number of sensors.
For comparison, measuring methods used in the field for assessing the drying progress are applied as well. The knowledge gained and in general all data collected constitute the basis of the programs of the HyDry® Remote Control Unit.
The patented HyDry® air circulation control system
Based on the knowledge collected within the frame of its own research, IRES has developed an air circulation control system which conducts and reduces the air flow between the wall and the heating surface. This air flow should be just as strong as necessary to evacuate moisture. This allows a significantly improved drying efficiency to be achieved.
A targeted air circulation allows for much longer breaks between the heating intervals, as, firstly, the target temperature of the wall surface is reached significantly quicker and, secondly, the target temperature is maintained for much longer.
However, a basic requirement for applying this procedure is that the panel is equipped with a temperature control unit – otherwise, the wall would overheat first, quickly followed by the infrared panel. In both cases, the resulting damage would have serious consequences.
This procedure cannot be implemented with any of our competitors’ products that we are aware of and that do not have such a temperature measurement system.
