Putting an End to the Air Change Rate Debate
Jason Slusarczyk, Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin Inc. (RWDI)
Glenn Schuyler, RWDI
It is apparent that there is no single air change rate available to designers and owners that guarantees a safe air quality environment within the lab, while balancing the need to minimize energy consumption. The need to lower air change rates to the extent possible for energy reduction is obvious. However, the requirement and ability for a minimum specified air change rate to provide a safe environment is not so clear. The need for a specific air change rate related to safety seems to be driven by the desire to reduce chemical concentrations and odors from chemical use outside of containment devices, and the desire to provide a level of safety in the event of a spill. The ability of air change rate to provide for, or even affect, either of these is marginal at best.
Ventilation design strategies, such as supply and exhaust placement, can have a much greater influence on overall air quality within a laboratory and recovery from a spill than can air change rate. Educating designers and owners regarding this concept will be critical for significant energy savings to ever be realized.
This presentation will provide modeled examples to compare the influence of ventilation strategy against the influence of air change rate on air quality levels within a laboratory.
Biographies:
Jason Slusarczyk has a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering from the University of Guelph and is a professional engineer within the province of Ontario. Jason is a Project Director in the exhaust re-entrainment division at RWDI Consulting Engineers. Mr. Slusarczyk specializes in numerical and wind tunnel exhaust dispersion modeling and has performed numerous air quality studies for a variety of industry sectors, including medical research, health care, power generation, and manufacturing.
Glenn Schuyler joined RWDI in 1981 as a senior engineer and became a principal at RWDI in 1984. He oversees a wide range of studies including air quality, aerodynamics, internal ventilation, and noise control. This work includes a large number of projects ranging from industrial facilities to university laboratories. As a result of Mr. Schuyler's experience, he has become the firm's expert on matters relating to internal ventilation and fume hood design. He has a Master of Applied Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Toronto and is a registered professional engineer in the province of Ontario. He is a member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers and of ASHRAE.