Energy Savings for Constant Volume Chemical Exhaust Fans Controlled by Wind Speed
Victor Neuman, Schneider Electric
Since its introduction 10 years ago, the emphasis for chemical exhaust fans controlled by wind speed has been its application to variable exhaust fans. To use variable exhaust fans, the supply air system for the laboratory must already be variable volume. For many of those building owners with constant volume chemical exhaust fans, a cost-effective subset of the same technology can be used on these buildings. This application is particularly cost effective where a full-sized backup exhaust fan already exists for each chemical exhaust fan that is running. The addition of patented technology for the use of a wind speed meter and matching controller allows for both the service fan and the backup chemical exhaust fan to be run at half volume each. This approach provides for significant energy savings and minimal downtime to install. In this presentation, the speaker will examine the installation costs and paybacks for three proposed laboratory locations around the world.
Victor Neuman currently serves Schneider Electric in the Asia Pacific region as an application engineer for energy conservation in healthcare and life science buildings. Mr. Neuman is a registered professional mechanical engineer in the United States and has a master's degree in mechanical engineering with further graduate study from Cambridge University. Mr. Neuman has participated in the design and/or construction of more than 150 laboratory and research buildings. Mr. Neuman has served on handbook and standards-making bodies. He was the founding vice-chair of ASHRAE's Technical Committee 9.10 on Laboratories. Since 1988, he has been a co-author of the American Industrial Hygiene Association/American National Standards Institute standard Z9.5, "Laboratory Ventilation." Mr. Neuman has a particular interest in variable volume fume hoods, energy conservation in laboratory buildings, and chemical exhaust into airflow around buildings.