Labs21 Advanced Course: Laboratory Ventilation and Design
Monday, September 15
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Labs21 Advanced Course on Laboratory Ventilation Design is part of a series of advanced course modules on sustainable, energy-efficient laboratory topics, which are based on the Labs21 Best Practice Guides.
Laboratory ventilation systems need to provide safe and comfortable
working environments that promote the facility's research mission.
This course focused on two elements for reducing energy use. First,
a decision-making process for optimizing the laboratory ventilation
rate is presented. Second, pragmatic and quantitative design features
and elements for reducing air distribution energy-use are explored.
Optimizing Laboratory Ventilation Rates
What is a laboratory's ventilation rate intended to achieve? This essential question has been usually answered with a doctrine of "more is better." Laboratory energy use is fundamentally linked to large volumes of airflow provided into, through, and out-of the facility. But these high-airflow systems can require copious amounts of energy that drive up operating costs under routine conditions.
This highly interactive module scrutinizes the design challenges
of crafting a "balanced" laboratory ventilation system
that both handles the "worst" scenario (possible) safely
and manages "routine" scenarios (probable) efficiently.
Attendees reviewed the process steps for determining an effective
laboratory ventilation rate with regard to worker safety and space
conditioning. A variety of "good" and "better"
design practice methods were presented and analyzed that reduce
HVAC system life-cycle costs.
Low-Pressure-Drop HVAC Design
For an air system flowing at a particular rate, what design element has the greatest impact on its energy use? The pressure drop that the air system encounters to deliver conditioned air to the facility is directly proportional to the required fan horsepower energy.
In the second workshop module, low-pressure-drop HVAC system design
strategies for laboratories that lower energy use were examined.
A range of design experiences and practices to reduce airflow pressure
drop were also reviewed and quantified. Performance examples applying
"good" and "better" low-pressure drop design
practice were introduced. Case studies of operating laboratories
were presented, including their resulting energy savings.
NOTE: This course is worth six Professional Development Hours (PDHs)
for professional engineers and six Continuing Education Credits
(CECs) for architects registered with the American Institute of
Architects.
Back to Training Page
|
