Control of Laboratory Exhaust Fans in a Variable Volume Laboratory
Charles Gans, P.E., Strobic Air Corporation
Use of variable frequency drives (VFDs) to control exhaust systems is becoming an increasingly popular design choice for new and existing buildings. This presentation details advantages, disadvantages, and design considerations related to controlling laboratory exhaust fans on VFDs.
The speaker will discuss a detailed review of how VFDs affect system characteristics, such as pressure and flow considerations for the exhaust fans, staging fans as on or off, effective stack height, bypass flow, sound considerations, motor shaft currents, system energy usage, and potential LEED® points. The speakers will also address real world case studies of new installations and retrofitting VFDs onto existing exhaust systems.
Biography
Charles Gans currently holds the position of general manager for Strobic Air Corp., a subsidiary of Met-Pro Corp., in Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Since joining the company in 1993, Mr. Gans has held positions as project engineer, engineering manager, director of operations, eastern regional manager, and assistant general manager. Mr. Gans maintains a professional engineering license in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and holds several degrees from Pennsylvania State University, including a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering technology and a Masters of Business Administration with a concurrent Masters of Science in information science. Mr. Gans also has memberships in ASHRAE and in the local U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) chapter, the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC). Mr. Gans has designed a variety of fan impellers and air moving systems, mainly for air pollution control and energy recovery applications, and is also listed under several patents for acoustical abatement equipment.