Technical Innovations to Enhance Laboratory Safety and Reduce Energy Usage

Gregory F. DeLuga, P.E., Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

Abstract:

Advances in environmental sensing and control technologies will soon provide designers of laboratory ventilation systems the opportunity to ensure worker health and safety based upon actual environmental conditions encountered in research laboratories. This departs from present laboratory ventilation system design practice that is mostly based on dated standards, generalizations and rules of thumb. Unfortunately, these present design practices seldom relate well to individual and changing laboratory situations and virtually never result in optimum occupant protection and maximum energy efficiency. Laboratory room ventilation rates, fume hood face velocities, minimum fume hood exhaust airflows and even minimum exhaust stack velocities are examples where present design practices and traditional control technologies do not yield optimum results. In contrast, new sensing and control technologies offer the potential for implementing ventilation system designs that address actual conditions and needs.

This session will contrast current laboratory ventilation standards requirements and common design approaches with the results that will be attainable due to advances in environmental sensing and control technology. Several sensing and control technologies that will soon be available to provide instant analysis of environmental conditions and provide appropriate control responses will be detailed along with a description of their applicability and benefits.

Biography:

Greg DeLuga has a degree in mechanical engineering from Chicago Technical College and is a Registered Professional Engineer in Illinois. He has nearly 40 years experience in applying control systems technology for various life safety and critical environmental applications and has authored many publications on this topic.

DeLuga is currently employed by Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. as a Senior Principal Engineer where he is responsible for ensuring that critical environmental control products and standard control applications meet safety standards, codes and good design practice. He is a member of and serves on several standards committees of ASHRAE, AIHA and NFPA. He regularly lectures on designing and controlling ventilation systems for critical environmental applications.