Ventilation in a production workshop is a complex of interconnected processes and equipment aimed at creating high-quality air exchange inside the production facility.
The workshop ventilation system plays a much more important role than a similar system in any other room. The main emphasis is that this is a whole system of engineering developments is designed to ensure uninterrupted filtration of air from harmful and toxic impurities and its functional circulation. At the same time the course of the technological process is not disrupted contributing to the creation of favorable conditions for their successful implementation.
Depending on the method of air movement ventilation of production workshops can be:
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natural,
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mechanical.
In the first case air exchange occurs due to the temperature difference and the difference in the pressure of the air flows. This type of ventilation can be unorganized (based on elementary physical phenomena – for example, a draft) and organized (aeration). To do this the use special structures (for example, boxes with shutters) allows to adjust the amount and strength of the air flow.
Mechanical ventilation allows for preliminary treatment of the supply air (cooling, heating, and humidification) and filtration of polluted air before being released into the atmosphere.
The main task of local ventilation is to localize and subsequently remove harmful and toxic substances and emissions directly at the place of their origin. In practice the source of pollution is covered from all sides by the so-called shields forming a kind of cap. Inside such a shelter a rarefaction occurs when air masses are sucked out because the pressure inside is below atmospheric. This measure prevents the entry of harmful impurities into the room. The local ventilation system of the workshop copes with air purification quite effectively and its organization is quite budgetary.
In cases where local ventilation cannot fully localize pollution sources a general exchange type of ventilation is used. Its purpose is to comprehensively purify the air in all industrial premises (or a significant part of them) by diluting the concentration of harmful impurities, dust and dirt, heat radiation, etc.
General ventilation does an excellent job of absorbing heat and is mainly used in cases where there is no emission of harmful impurities into the atmosphere of industrial premises. Mixed ventilation is used (general exchange + local suction) if the specificity of production involves the emission of gases, harmful vapors, carcinogens and dust.
In some cases enterprises whose production is associated with significant dust emission or the release of toxic impurities completely abandon general ventilation. This is explained by the fact that a powerful general exchange system can simply carry these hazards and dust throughout the entire workshop.
The key concept of building ventilation systems is:
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removing the maximum amount of harmful substances using local suction,
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diluting the remaining impurities with an inflow of fresh air reducing their concentration to the maximum permissible level.
And this is the main basis on which industrial exhaust ventilation is built.
The supply ventilation system of the workshop is aimed at ensuring a free flow of fresh air in volumes which will be sufficient for the full functioning of the production. In supply type systems duct fans are used which take air from the outside and then pass it through the heaters where heating and humidification occurs (if required).
Such systems are capable of fully ensuring the forced flow of air masses into the workshop. At the same time the air pressure increases in comparison with the atmospheric pressure which contributes to the natural unorganized squeezing of the exhaust air out into the street through slots, exits or openings.
The exhaust system removes polluted / humid / hot / toxic air and its replacement with clean air occurs unorganized – through window and door openings, etc. Such workshop ventilation is very important in technological processes that involve a large release of heat, moisture, harmful fumes, etc. with a significant staff of employees involved in production.
All types of exhaust ventilation units in production workshops consist of several components:
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suction (open type – consisting of a protective casing, an exhaust hood, articulated telescopic / onboard suction, air inlets; or closed type – which include fume hoods (for industries with increased emission of toxic gases and poisonous vapors), chambers, shelter boxes (for working with highly toxic and radioactive substances),
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fan (centrifugal or axial),
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exhaust duct,
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filter,
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ductwork.
Supply and exhaust ventilation of the workshop removes dirty air with simultaneous supply of fresh air masses. The distribution of streams can occur in two ways:
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by stirring,
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by displacement.
Ventilation design for a workshop is a complex engineering task. It is necessary to perform careful calculations which largely depend on its purpose. Industrial ventilation must remove all hazards including hot air, explosive impurities and poisonous emissions, water vapor – everything that is released during the production process by products, equipment and personnel.
The creation and design of ventilation in production workshops for any purpose is entrusted exclusively to professionals who will ensure compliance with all necessary standards and perform calculations taking into account the specifics of the production process.