Industrial Ventilation a Means to Control Contaminated Air

Neel Rao

Industrial ventilation is a way to control or reduce contact with airborne pollutants like dust, fumes as well as vapours. A normal ventilation system can also be attained naturally by opening a door or a window but in an industry, it can be attained by means of blowers or fans. These are designed such that they can move a significant amount of air at a certain set velocity that is adept in removing the detrimental pollutants. The size of such ventilation system varies with the size of the industry but the basic principles remains the same.

The Need for an Industrial Ventilation System
The four basic purpose of a ventilation system are:

  1. To provide a non-stop supply of fresh air from outside the plant
  2. To retain a standard as well as comfortable level of temperature as well as humidity within the plant
  3. To lessen prospective hazards from a fire as well as explosion
  4. To eliminate or weaken airborne contaminants

Industrial ventilation is important to eliminate or at least control the pollutants that may be released within an industrial set up or a plant. This is a recommended as well as a preferred method of protecting employees from getting exposed to contaminated air.

Types of Industrial Ventilation Systems
A standard industrial setting uses two types of ventilation systems:

  1. Dilution Ventilation: helps in reducing contamination in the air by diluting it with fresh unpolluted air.
  2. Local Exhaust: arrests the contaminants close to or at the source and expends them outside.

The Dilution Ventilation System
The dilution system of industrial ventilation is the standard system that is used in most industries. This system usually comprises of huge exhaust fans that are strategically placed either in the wall or the roof of the industrial unit. This is designed to supply as well as drain a big volume of air to and from a specific area. This type of ventilation system works by ventilating pollutants from the workspace but may cause pollution far away from it after it has exhausted the contaminants. Such systems can be made more effective if the fan can be placed in close proximity to the worker with the makeup air being located behind the worker. This way the polluted air can be removed from the breathing space of the worker. An ideal way to use the dilution system is in a set up where the toxin level is not too high and where the workers are not in close proximity to the source of pollution.

Local Exhaust Ventilation System
There are six basic tenets of the local system:

  1. An opening, also called “hood” to arrest pollutants at the mouth.
  2. Ducts in the ventilation system help in transporting airborne chemicals.
  3. Cleaning device to get rid of contaminants
  4. Fans to help circulate the air and help outdoor discharge
  5. Exhaust stack that aids in discharge of contaminated air
  6. Makeup air to replace the discharged air