Energy Efficient Laboratory Fume Hood

IB-1205

Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:

• Laboratory Fume Hoods

ADVANTAGES:

• Up to 75% energy savings over current fume hood systems
• Allows use of small HVAC systems
• Avoids expensive control systems required by VAV fume hoods

ABSTRACT: Fume hoods, used to protect the user from breathing harmful chemical vapors, consume large amounts of energy, estimated to be 1GW in California alone. This power load comes from the fan power need to move air out the hood, and to condition make-up air. Helmut Feustel at Berkeley Lab has developed a promising new low-flow method that reduces this energy load in fume hoods, while still protecting workers' health. This new constant air volume system can reduce a laboratory's energy consumption and peak-power requirements for fan and make-up air conditioning energy. Because of this reduced make-up air requirement, air-conditioning equipment can also be downsized, which reduces initial equipment costs and space requirements for the air handler and the ductwork. The new Berkeley Lab fume hood also does not require the expensive control systems used to regulate air flow in VAV fume hoods.

STATUS: U. S. Patent #6,089,970, #6,428,408 and other patents pending/Available for licensing in certain fields of use, including biological safety cabinets and clean benches, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and electronics assembly for use in clean rooms.

REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-1205, 1473, 1593

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE:

http://ateam.lbl.gov/hightech/fumehood/fhood.html

http://ateam.lbl.gov/hightech/fumehood/Newsletter.html