Smart Lab Webinar Series at I2SL: New Methods to Test Performance of Modern Fume Hoods and High-Performance Airflow Systems

April 16, 2020
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Eastern Time

I2SL and the Better Buildings Smart Lab Accelerator are thrilled to collaborate to provide a webinar series for I2SL members, partners, and others seeking to learn more about laboratories. This informational webinar is provided at no cost to encourage attendees to continue improving safety and efficiency in laboratories. Consider joining I2SL to gain access to many more educational webinars throughout the year.

Smart labs enable safe and efficient world-class science to occur in laboratories by:

  • Reducing ventilation to the lowest safe levels during occupied and unoccupied time periods
  • Employing high ventilation effectiveness design
  • Minimizing fan energy
  • Using smart building controls

Modern airflow systems are installed to ensure safe and productive laboratories while minimizing energy consumption. These systems are very complex and employ a multitude of components that are intended to modulate flow in response to changes in the demand for ventilation. These systems require new and special tests to verify, adjust, and maintain performance. Unfortunately, many facilities rely on outdated test and maintenance methods that are inappropriate to manage modern airflow systems. Improper test and maintenance methods can place employee health at risk and adversely impact energy efficiency and operational sustainability.

This webinar will describe new methods to test, manage, and maintain variable air volume fume hoods and modern, high-performance, airflow systems to achieve safe, energy-efficient, and sustainable laboratories.

Learning Objectives

  • Learn the factors that affect performance of complex variable air volume airflow systems and how improper techniques jeopardize both safety and energy efficiency.
  • Understand how the complexity of modern airflow systems requires specialized tests and maintenance methods.
  • Recognize why traditional or commonly applied fume hood test methods are deficient and not appropriate for modern variable air volume systems.
  • Understand how fume hood tests must be integrated with lab environment tests to verify and validate safety performance.
  • Learn how to challenge and confirm variable air volume exhaust and air supply systems minimize flow and reduce energy consumption.

Webinar Recording

View the webinar recording.

Instructor Biography

Thomas C. Smith is the President of 3Flow. Mr. Smith has worked for more than 30 years helping facilities provide safe, efficient and sustainable laboratories and critical workspaces. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene from the University of North Carolina. Mr. Smith has served as Chair of ASHRAE TC9.10 Laboratory Systems, Chair of the ANSI/AIHA Z9 Standards for Ventilation and Health, and has been a member of the ASHRAE 110 committee since 1991. He serves on the Board for the International Institute of Sustainable Labs (I2SL) and is a member of the Alumni Hall of Fame for the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at North Carolina State University.

 

Save the Date for the next Smart Lab Webinar Series at I2SL on June 18 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.

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