Ventilation is the system through which fresh outdoor air comes in and stale indoor air goes out. In houses and buildings, where indoor areas are airtight to protect inhabitants from weather, heat and frost, doors and windows are used to control this system of bringing in the fresh air and sending out stale air.
What is industrial ventilation?
In industries, ventilation is required to control and remove fumes, chemicals, dust and smoke in order to keep air quality healthy for workers and also to avoid corrosion.
Industrial ventilation involves a Fresh Air Ventilation System for Commercial, where devices are used to act like exhaust and intakes and maintain a certain amount of air at a particular speed. In industries, ventilation is considered a part of engineering control, where contaminants are removed and fresh air from outside is brought in.
Functions of an industrial ventilation system:
Industrial ventilation systems also function to:
- Substitute or dilute air with less toxic substances
- Initiate process change
- Control contaminant levels in the air
- Eliminate hazardous materials or chemicals
A good industrial ventilation system has the basic exhaust and supply components to perform the basic in-out air functionality. But it is more than simple exhaust and intake as seen from the functions detailed above. Though that is the basic function, we can optimise the ventilation system so that the machinery and equipment last longer, employees are comfortable, and it is better for the environment. This pf course depends on the industry you function in. Remember industrial ventilation systems are highly customised pieces of equipment. Most of them include the following components:
Fans:
Fans are the easiest way to ventilate in a Residential central vacuum system. Ceiling fans, exhaust fans, and standalone fans are commonplace in homes in India. The concept behind a fan is that it moves air around a space and circulates it through the room.
That said, just having a fan is not enough for ventilation. Normally, spatial designers calculate how much airflow a room needs, and place a fan accordingly. The size, placement and blade speed are all important here. You must have seen warehouses having fans with gigantic blades – this explains why. The propeller shape, pitch and blade size will have a direct effect on if the room has positive, negative or balanced pressure.
With fans, the mechanical ventilation system is therefore broadly categorised into four types:
- Forced supply-forced exhaust
- Natural supply- natural exhaust
- Forced supply-natural exhaust
- Natural supply-natural exhaust
Louvres:
Industrial plants cannot rely on simple ventilation methods alone, given their special needs. Therefore it is common to see power exhaust systems with gravity ventilation. This is when you have to get air into the building in certain controlled conditions like the industry setting might want ventilation but not the dust or insects that come in along with the air. In such cases, inlet louvres are used in the ventilation system. These are arrangements of parallel, horizontal blades, glass or wood that regulate air and light into the area.
Dampers:
Air dampers are an important component of a ventilation system. These are placed so that they seal exhaust outlets like chimneys when they are not in use. They are a tool to regulate airflow. They are usually movable plates that regulate and redirect airflow to specific areas of the home.
Dehumidifiers:
These are appliances that reduce moisture and humidity in a space. Many of these are a part of the central vacuum system. They enable ventilation in industries by keeping indoor air dry, or at a pre-set humidity level.
Silencers:
Silencers are components that are placed in the ventilation system, to block unnecessary noise that the mechanical components of the ventilation system make. Worker comfort is a priority in industrial systems, and noise can cause stress and lower productivity. And remember that ventilation systems are not the only equipment on the floor. They can be noisy and add to the already existing noise. Silencers can be gas is blown, steam or acoustical-enclosed.
Air filters:
These are the most important part of a ventilation system from a health and safety point of view. Filters can be basic – just filtering out dust and particulate matter or advanced like HEPA which even filter out minute microbial particles like virus and bacteria. It is very important to maintain health and sanitation levels in the industry.