Labs21 Advanced Course: Laboratory Ventilation
and Design
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 promotes the facility's research mission.
This course focuses 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 review 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 are 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 are examined.
A range of design experiences and practices to reduce airflow pressure
drop are reviewed and quantified. Performance examples applying
"good" and "better" low-pressure drop design
practice are introduced. Case studies of operating laboratories
are presented including their resulting energy savings.
While the course is open to everyone, it is recommended that
participants have a basic understanding of laboratory ventilation
and design issues or have taken the Labs21 Introductory Course.
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.
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