Room air change rates

Effective air circulation is essential for safe laboratory operation. The rate of air circulation
has recently been a subject of discussion not only with reference to potential energy
efficiency but safety and efficacy as well.

 Recommended standards

The conventional, "national consensus standard" has been four to six outside air changes
per hour recommended for a "safe" B-occupancy laboratory; in laboratories that routinely
use more hazardous material, such as known carcinogens, 10 to 12 outside air changes per
hour have been recommended. Some publications simply recommend four to 12 air changes
per hour; such generalized recommendations represent engineering by "rule-of-thumb" at
its worst. In health care facilities, air change rates are being discussed in relationship to
CFM per patient. [Marshall, 1996]

 Room air circulation

Studies of laboratory facilities have demonstrated that the room air change rate had less
effect on environmental conditions in the laboratories surveyed than did the room air
diffusing system and other ventilation characteristics. More scientific data are needed to
form a basis for laboratory air circulation guidelines because many conventional design
parameters and recommendations are not directly related to microenvironmental (e.g.,
cage) conditions in the laboratory. [Zhang et al., 1992; McDiarmid, 1988]

For example, it has been demonstrated that air dilution or replacement does not protect
personnel from exposure to concentrated bursts of aerosols in biological laboratories. In
fact, Crane (1994) quotes Chatigny and West (1976), who say that, "increasing ventilation
rates from six to 30 air changes per hour (ACH) has a minimal effect on aerosol
concentration of microorganisms in the first few minutes after release." [Crane, 1994]

Other factors can have an impact on the determination of a lab's air change
rate. Memarzadeh (1999) has shown that "controlling the humidity in animal rooms is more
significant in managing the production of ammonia (from animal urine) than is the use of
high air change rates." This allowed him to decrease "the air change rate from 15 to as low
as 5, while improving the welfare of the animals." [Memarzadeh, 1999]

 Code compliance

As described in Chapter 2, in California, laboratory-type facilities will usually fall into one of
three California Uniform Building Code (CAL/UBC) classifications: B, H-8, or H-7.
The Uniform Building Code (UBC), Uniform Fire Code (UFC), NFPA 45, and Uniform
Mechanical Code (UMC) do not specify the air change rate of B (except in certain cases of
flammable liquid storage) or H-7. The special California H-8 occupancy also does not specify
an air change rate. In an H-6 occupancy (restrictive classification for large semiconductor
fabrication facilities), an exhaust air-flow rate of one cfm (which may include recirculated
air) per square foot (0.044 L/s/m2) of fabrication area is specified by the code. [Uniform
Building Code, 1994]
A laboratory space with a 10-foot-high ceiling and a one cfm per square foot exhaust air-
flow rate will result in six air changes per hour. However, if the ceiling height is greater, a
ventilation rate based on air changes will result in air flows in excess of what even the H-6
occupancy requires and will consequently waste energy for less hazardous activities.
Therefore, in the absence of better information, it is recommended that the air-flow rate
through the laboratory space be set not at a particular air change rate but at one cfm per
square foot (and not less than six air changes per hour in B laboratories where Class I, II,
or III-A liquids are used) and for B, H-8, or H-7 occupancies. [California Uniform Building
Code, 1994; California Uniform Fire Code, 1994]

 Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

The relatively new area of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) may provide the energy
engineer with information to help make laboratories safer and more energy efficient. Room
geometry, HVAC system equipment, diffuser placement, and laboratory operational
procedures all influence air movement around the fume hood sash opening and thus affect
hood performance. The Computational Fluid Dynamics computer model is an attempt to
simulate the interaction of all of these variables impacting hood contaminant performance.
The National Institutes of Health, Division of Engineering Services, worked with Flomerics
Ltd., the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA), and the American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to develop
Computational Fluid Dynamics-based (CFD-based) models that will predict the ventilation
performance of different laboratory configurations, see Memarzadeh, 1996. . [Hayner,
1995]