Industrial ventilation control methods help you tailor ventilation system operations to your facility’s needs. Many systems today use demand controlled mechanical ventilation systems equipped with sophisticated sensors to monitor air quality throughout the building. In this article, we’ll discuss sensor-based demand ventilation control, types of sensors to use, and which facilities may be well suited to these types of systems.
What is Industrial Ventilation Control?
Industrial ventilation control is essentially any method you use to control the ventilation system in your facility. Typically, this comes down to determining how many air changes per hour occur in your facility. For simplicity, we will call this the ventilation rate for your building. There are many methods for controlling ventilation rates. For instance, you might utilize a fixed ventilation rate for your systems, which is where you set a specific number of air changes per hour for your facility and let the system run based on that number. Usually, this ventilation rate is based on your building’s maximum occupancy. However, this option can consume significant amounts of energy, as the system is always running at the same rate, even if your building is unoccupied or has low occupancy. Therefore, many facilities are switching to demand ventilation control methods.
Demand ventilation control is where the ventilation system changes based on demand, such as the presence of pollutants, the indoor air temperature or the number of people inside the facility. This is to help maintain good indoor air quality while reducing unnecessary energy use. We’ll discuss how sensors help detect conditions that may require increased ventilation in your building, but first we should point out some of the benefits of a demand controlled ventilation system.
Benefits of Using Demand Industrial Ventilation Control in Your Facility
Demand controlled ventilation systems are becoming increasingly popular for facilities of all types and sizes. As organizations look to reduce energy consumption for cost and sustainability reasons, demand industrial ventilation control may be the perfect solution. Not only do these systems help reduce overall energy use in your facility, but they also can help reduce the stress of constant operation on the various components in the system. This can decrease the amount of wear and tear on the system over time. With a well-designed demand controlled ventilation system, you can achieve good indoor air quality while lessening unnecessary system usage.
What Types of Sensors to Use for Industrial Ventilation Control?
In most modern ventilation systems, demand control ventilation is sensor-based. This means that sensors for specific conditions or pollutants provide feedback necessary for increasing or decreasing ventilation rates inside your facility. Using sensor-based demand ventilation control can have a positive impact on energy use for your mechanical ventilation systems. This is because they provide real-time data to optimize ventilation.
Generally speaking, your industrial ventilation systems still need to have a base ventilation rate to help control other contaminants when your building’s primary pollutants aren’t high enough to trigger the sensor-based ventilation controls. That way, you can ensure your facility receives a minimum amount of ventilation of outdoor air. The sensors can then increase ventilation as needed based conditions. Here are some common sensor types you might use for industrial ventilation control:
Carbon Dioxide Sensors
Some demand controlled ventilation systems use carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors. These sensors are effective for industrial ventilation control in facilities where CO2 concentrations can build-up to unhealthy levels. CO2 is a byproduct of human breathing and other processes such as fruit and vegetable ripening. As CO2 concentrations rise in a building, many people notice the effects of poor indoor air quality. The air can feel stale and may even cause symptoms like fatigue for those in the building.
Each application is a little different, but typically the goal for CO2 levels indoors is 1,000 parts per million or less. CO2 sensors detect the concentration of this gas and can trigger ventilation system response as levels rise to unwanted levels.
Using CO2 sensors for your demand controlled ventilation systems may be necessary to meet local codes. In addition, if you would like to earn LEED points from the U.S. Green Building Council for your demand controlled ventilation system, generally you must use CO2 sensors in specific placements to gain the points.
VOC Sensors
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are another common type of pollutant that can reduce indoor air quality in many facilities. They can come from many sources, including cleaning chemicals, paints, and adhesives. Therefore, you can find many of these gasses in industrial facilities. VOC sensors exist to detect many of these contaminants and may be used to help with industrial ventilation control. However, it’s important to keep in mind that these sensors are often unable to determine the difference between hazardous gasses, like benzene, and VOCs from everyday substances, like aftershave. Therefore, these are often combined with other types of sensors in industrial ventilation systems.
Temperature Sensors
Using thermostats to demand control air flow is a common way to make operating a ventilation system more efficient. The simplest way is to modulate the ventilation system based on the indoor air temperature. As the indoor temperature rises, additional fans can turn on or air flow from VFD controlled fans can be increased. Thermostats can also be used to control when to turn on spot cooling fans such as HVLS fans.
Which Types of Facilities May Benefit from Sensor-Based Industrial Ventilation Control?
Demand controlled ventilation systems are ideal for facilities that have varying ventilation needs throughout the day. Also, it’s important to know what your primary contaminant is and how sensors can detect dangerous levels. Consulting with a ventilation specialist is the best way to determine which type of demand controlled ventilation system is right for your application.
Custom Ventilation Solutions from Eldridge
The key to improving indoor air quality and comfort for your facility is using a ventilation system custom-designed for your needs. At Eldridge, we specialize in industrial fans and ventilation systems, as well as noise control systems. We are your trusted source for all of components of an industrial ventilation system. Our team offers solutions for new system design, system retrofitting, and noise control. Our specialists are here to design and install quality ventilation systems using sophisticated design technologies and equipment from top manufacturers. Get in touch now to request a quote for your facility.