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Laboratory Ventilation System Design: Safety and Containment
11 Sep,2025
Laboratory Ventilation System design is a highly specialized engineering discipline that prioritizes the safety of personnel and the integrity of research by controlling airborne contaminants, pressure, temperature, and humidity. It is one of the most critical and complex aspects of lab facility planning.
Core Principles
● Once-Through Air: The fundamental principle is using 100% outside air (single-pass system). Conditioned air is supplied to the lab and then exhausted directly to the atmosphere without recirculation to other parts of the building. This prevents cross-contamination.
● Pressure Differential: Labs handling hazardous chemicals must be maintained at negative pressure relative to adjacent non-lab areas (e.g., corridors). This ensures that any accidental air leakage flows into the lab and out through the dedicated exhaust, preventing contaminants from reaching clean spaces. Cleanrooms, conversely, use positive pressure.
● Air Change Rate (ACH): Systems are designed for high air exchange, typically maintaining a minimum of 4 to 12 Air Changes per Hour (ACH), or more, to effectively dilute fugitive emissions.
Key Components
● Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV): This includes containment devices like fume hoods and biosafety cabinets. The system must maintain a constant, safe face velocity (e.g., 100fpm) at the hood opening.
● Variable Air Volume (VAV) Systems: Modern labs often use VAV systems, which modulate air supply and exhaust rates based on sash opening or occupancy to save energy while maintaining the critical pressure differential and minimum ACH requirements.
● High-Velocity Exhaust Stacks: Exhaust fans discharge air at high velocities (often > 3000fpm) and sufficient height above the roofline to ensure proper dispersion and prevent re-entry into the building's fresh air intakes.
Proper ventilation design is essential for meeting regulatory standards (e.g., ASHRAE, ANSI/AIHA) and providing a safe and productive environment.
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