Local Exhaust Ventilation
Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) Operates by removing a contaminant at the point of generation and ducting it away in an air flow to a safe place
LEV Components Exhaust outlet Ducting Fan and motor Hood or exhaust outlet Filter or purifying system
Ducting As straight as possible Bends or angles should be gentle Should be well supported Ample access ports should be provided for cleaning (think MEMS) Provision for testing duct pressure via water gauges or access points for air flow meters
Filter or Purifying System Care must be taken to see that correct type of filter is used e.g. cyclones are not suitable for very fine particles Owing to the dynamic nature of cyclones and the resultant generation of static electricity the potential for dust explosions is very high
Ventilation Fans and Motors Fan must have sufficient power to cope with normal working but have sufficient margin to deal with overload situations
Exhaust Outlet Exhausted air must be away from any air inlets, otherwise a cyclic pollution system is produced Variation in wind direction must not reduce exhaust efficiency Exhaust noise must be controlled
Fume Cupboards Type of LEV widely used in laboratories Large ventilated box Consists of enclosed chamber accessed through vertical sliding sash Kept under negative pressure by a fan Prevents back release of contaminant
Multihood Extraction Systems Often convenient to extract from different locations via hoods linked to a common extraction system Size of ducts must be selected to distribute total airflow amongst the several hoods
Maintenance 14 months if installed as a control measure under COSHH Transport velocity (anemometer) Capture velocity Static pressure Clean/change filters Maintain fans