What Is Involved in Industrial Ventilation Design?

Industrial ventilation design is a type of product design that focuses on the creation of a ventilation system that is adequate to remove contaminated air from within an industrial setting such as a manufacturing plant or industrial laboratory, while also returning clean air to that space. In order to create this type of design, there are a number of factors that must be considered with care. A viable industrial ventilation design will take into consideration the size of the interior space involved, the type of contaminants that may affect the quality of the air, and compliance with any health and safety regulations set by local, state, or national governmental agencies that apply to the business operation.

One of the key elements in any industrial ventilation design is familiarity with the health and safety codes that must be incorporated into the overall design for the ventilation unit. This includes making sure that each component in the design at least meets those minimum standards. For example, the ductwork used in the system will have to be a certain size, depending on the square footage of the interior space; the placement of vents must allow for efficient removal and return of air into the space; and even the types of materials used for each part of the ventilation system must meet regulatory standards. Failure to do so will lead to the failure of the design and could possibly open the door to placing employees working within the space in danger.

Another important aspect of industrial ventilation design is to allow for the easy ventilation of areas of the operation that involve working with toxic substances. The idea is to make sure the system is strong enough to keep the quality of the air within each chamber or section of the operation within safe limits. Depending on the type and variety of substances that will be used on a daily basis, the industrial ventilation design may require components that are in constant use, while other settings may call for equipment that includes sensors which automatically activate the system when toxicity levels within the space reach a certain level.

The sheer size of the ventilation system will also be important to the overall industrial ventilation design. Along with making sure the system is capable of managing the flow of air to and from sections of the operation, it is also crucial that the system include fail-safes that make it possible to utilize a backup or emergency system in the event of a failure. For example, the backup may involve the use of battery-operated generators to keep the system functioning in the event of a power outage. In addition, alarms that can sound when contamination levels reach unhealthy levels and the ventilation system is not able to handle the load quickly enough will make it possible to evacuate and seal the area, protecting lives and buying more time for the toxic air to be expelled and replaced with fresh air.