Information Sheet IS24

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)

The control of potentially hazardous airborne contaminants such as dusts, gases, vapours and fumes, etc. can be accomplished by capturing and removing the contaminant at or near its source or point of generation, thus preventing the release of the contaminant into the workroom. 1. Components of a LEV A local exhaust system usually includes Hoods or enclosures to capture the air contaminant. Ductwork leading to an exhaust fan to transport the contaminant. A collection unit for particulate contaminants, or an air cleaning device for gases before discharge to the outside air.

There must be an adequate supply of make-up air to replace that removed by the LEV, or the room will have a negative air pressure and decrease the efficiency of the LEV system.

1.1 Glossary of Terms

Capture Velocity

The air velocity at a point within or in front of an exhaust hood necessary to overcome opposing air currents and particle inertia, causing the contaminated air to flow into the hood. A device for restricting the airflow in a duct. The volumetric rate at which air is removed.

Damper Exhaust Rate Static Pressure

The difference between the absolute pressure in an exhaust system and atmospheric pressure. It produces the initial air velocity. It overcomes the resistance in a system caused by friction of the air against duct walls. It overcomes turbulence or shock caused by a change in direction or velocity of air movement. Is usually negative (less than atmospheric) upstream of a fan and positive downstream of a fan.
Disclaimer

These notes are published as an information service and without assuming a duty of care. They contain general information only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional or legal advice. 1

Information Sheet IS24

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)

Transport Velocity
1.2 Energy Losses

The velocity required to prevent the settling of a contaminant from an airstream, usually related to the flow of air in a duct

Air in motion encounters resistance along any surface confining the flowing air volume, and some of the energy of the air is lost by conversion to heat in overcoming this resistance. Friction losses increase with Increasing roughness of the surface walls. Increasing length of ducting. Increasing air velocity. Decreasing diameter of ducting.

Energy is also lost from air flowing turbulently - these are termed dynamic losses. Turbulence is caused by changes in direction in a duct ie. elbows and angles. The pressure drop in a duct system due to dynamic losses increases with the number of elbows or angles. For example, air passing through an elbow of 30cm diameter and 60cm centreline radius will lose as much energy as is lost through over 500cm of straight pipe. Turbulence of air also increases with changes in velocity. The velocity of a given air mass is inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area of the duct so that as cross-sectional area of a duct increases, velocity decreases (and vice versa). Turbulence also occurs when air is accelerated from rest to enter a duct or opening. 2. Properties of airborne materials
2.1 Dusts

Dusts are solid particles generated by handling, crushing, grinding and detonation of materials such as rock, metal and wood. Dust particles vary widely in size, with the finer particles (< 20 microns) remaining airborne for long periods. Dust particles < 5 microns can reach the lungs.
2.2 Fumes

Fumes are small solid particles created by condensation from the gaseous state, generally after the application of heat to substances or by chemical reaction such as oxidation. Most fumes are usually submicronic in size, and have a tendency to flocculate and coalesce into long chains or clumps.
2.3 Vapours

Vapours are the gaseous forms of substances which are normally in the liquid or solid state and which can be changed to these states either by increasing the pressure or decreasing the temperature.
2.4 Gases

Gases are normally compressible, formless fluids which occupy the space of their enclosure and which can be changed to the liquid or solid state only by the effect of increased pressure and decreased temperature or both.

Disclaimer These notes are published as an information service and without assuming a duty of care. They contain general information only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional or legal advice. 2

Information Sheet IS24

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)

3. Design and Function of Components of an LEV system

3.1 Hoods

A hood is a structure designed to enclose or partially enclose a contaminant-producing operation and to guide airflow in an efficient manner to capture a contaminant. The hood is connected to the ventilation system via a duct which removes the contaminant from the hood. The design and location of the hood is critical in determining the success of a LEV. Exhaust hoods are designed to work in one of two ways: (1) they can induce an air movement which draws the contaminant into the hood or (2) they can enclose the contaminant source and induce an air movement which prevents the contaminant from escaping the enclosure. Before designing a hood, several principles should be considered: An attempt should be made to minimise or eliminate all air motion in the area of the contaminant source. This will reduce the amount of air needed to be exhausted and subsequently reduce system power and equipment requirements. Air currents which necessarily exist should be utilised by the hood wherever possible. The hood should enclose the process as much as possible without endangering workers safety. When enclosure is impractical, the hood should be located as close to the contaminant source as possible. The air velocity created by an exhaust hood varies inversely with the square of the distance for all but long slot-type hoods. The hood should be located so that the contaminant is removed away from the breathing zone of the worker.

3.2 Ductwork

Ductwork provides a channel for flow of the contaminated air exhausted from the hood to the point of discharge. If the air contains dust, the duct velocity must be high enough to prevent the dust from settling out and plugging the ductwork. The location and construction of the ductwork must provide sufficient protection against external damage and corrosion, but be accessible for servicing and maintenance. Pressure is lost when air travels through various fittings such as elbows and branches in an exhaust system. A few guidelines for the design of ductwork to minimise the pressure losses are: Main ducts should be arranged in such a way that smaller branches enter the main duct near the high suction end ie. Closer to the fan inlet. Long runs of small diameter duct should be avoided. Extending an exhaust system to reach an isolated hood increases fan power consumption to avoid this problem, it may be more economical to install a separate system for that hood. If possible, locate the fan near the middle of an array of exhaust hoods rather than at one end. If long rows of equipment are to be served, the main header duct should be located near the middle of the system to equalise runs of branch duct. Ductwork should be located so that it is readily accessible for inspection, cleaning and repairs. Ductwork should be placed so as to avoid mechanical damage.
Disclaimer These notes are published as an information service and without assuming a duty of care. They contain general information only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional or legal advice. 3

3.3 Fans

Information Sheet IS24

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)

Air is moved through the ductwork by a motor-driven fan. There are two major types of fans used in industrial ventilation: Axial flow types where the airflow is parallel to the fan shaft. Centrifugal flow types, where the airflow is perpendicular to the fan shaft.

Although axial fans tend to be more efficient in moving large volumes of air, centrifugal fans tend to be quieter and can operate at higher static pressures, and are more commonly found in LEV systems. Wherever practicable, a fan should be placed downstream from the collector so that it will handle clean air.
3.4 Air Cleaner

Most exhaust systems for contaminants other than hot air need an air cleaner to ensure the quality of the air leaving the LEV meets local emission control standards, and is not discharging pollutants into the atmosphere. 4. Airflow characteristics The flow characteristics of air at an exhaust (or suction) opening are very different from those at the discharge (or blowing) opening. When air is blown from a small opening, the velocity thirty diameters in front of the plane of the opening is about 10 percent of the velocity of the discharge. The same reduction in velocity is achieved at a much smaller distance in exhaust openings, such that the velocity equals 10 percent of the face velocity ie. suction is much less efficient than blowing. This can be verified by placing the hand 30cm away from the suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner and the discharge outlet, and comparing the difference in air current. For this reason, exhaust hoods must be placed as close as possible to the source of contaminant generation, otherwise the contaminant is unlikely to even enter the LEV system.

Flanges surrounding a hood opening force air to flow mostly from the zone directly in front of the hood. The addition of a flange to an open duct or pipe improves the efficiency of the duct or hood for a distance of about one diameter.

Disclaimer These notes are published as an information service and without assuming a duty of care. They contain general information only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional or legal advice. 4

Information Sheet IS24

Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)

4.1 Duct Velocity

The air velocity for transporting dusts and fumes through ductwork must be high enough that the particles will not settle and plug the ducts. This minimum velocity (transport velocity) is typically 18 to 20 metres per second. At these velocities, frictional loss from air moving along the surface of the ducts becomes significant; therefore all fittings such as elbows and branches must be wide-swept, gradual and with smooth interior surfaces. The cross-sectional area of the main duct generally should equal the sum of the areas of cross-sections for all branches upstream, plus a safety factor of approximately 20 percent. When the main duct is enlarged to accommodate an additional branch, the connection should be tapered and not abrupt. The angle of entry of the branch duct should be between 30 and 45 to ensure air flow does not become turbulent. References National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (US) The Industrial Environment - its Evaluation and Control 1973 Alden, JL and Kane, JM Design of Industrial Ventilation Systems 5th edition 1982

Disclaimer These notes are published as an information service and without assuming a duty of care. They contain general information only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional or legal advice. 5