Proper ventilation is essential to maintaining good air quality in any environment. There's no excuse for poor air circulation, especially since, when integrated with the heating system, ventilation is free, as Keith Sprague of Nordair Niche explains.
Ventilation can be achieved easily and cheaply
In industrial buildings, good ventilation will keep bad odours, irritating pollutants and potentially harmful gases like carbon monoxide at bay. Plus, it prevents the formation of mould and/or mildew, which is vital for employee health and building hygiene - especially important when in a kitchen or food processing environment.
When production processes get underway, air quality can quickly deteriorate. Raised levels of indoor air pollution may reduce productivity, as well as having negative effects on the comfort of the building's occupants. Certain industries are prone to airborne particles that can make life very unpleasant. Automotive manufacturing processes, for example, produce oil haze that hangs in the air. In other industries, chemical processes may generate foul vapours.
The use of chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can put people's health at risk. Diseases including asthma, dermatitis or cancer can result from poor ventilation. The COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations require employers to control substances that can harm workers' health. As a minimum, 'a good standard of general ventilation and good working practice' is required. For very hazardous substances, extract ventilation is often required, but a good level of ventilation that will maintain air quality can be achieved easily and cheaply - and without the need for additional equipment - through the heating system.
Combined heating and ventilation solutions have been on the market for many years. The technology has been developed to the point that they now offer optimum energy efficiency while improving air quality.
These systems rely on a degree of fresh air intake to operate. Nordair Niche direct and indirect gas-fired units, for example, provide both fresh and warm air in the building.
Direct fired units work on a patented air recirculation system which supplies the amount of fresh air required to meet the changing requirements of the building, while maintaining a constant supply of fresh air to the burner.
A combined heating and ventilation system can respond quickly
When fresh air is required, ventilation is quickly achieved as the dampers automatically adjust to provide the required amount of tempered outside air. The effect is almost instant as the fresh air is distributed evenly around the building.
Pressurisation
Since fresh air is delivered faster than it can escape by natural ventilation, these units slightly pressurise the air inside a building. Pressurisation causes the air to distribute evenly throughout, eliminating temperature stratification or 'cold spots' and ensuring every part of the building is usable at all times.
Once optimum conditions have been reached, the system modulates the fresh air input and utilises up to 80 per cent recirculated air for maximum economy.
When temperatures within the building change, a combined heating and ventilation system can respond very quickly, soon returning the interior to comfort conditions.
Heat recovery is fast becoming the norm for such ventilation systems, reducing both running costs and harmful CO
2 emissions into the atmosphere.
This method of heating and ventilating premises does not require ductwork and is ideal for buildings requiring summer ventilation and regular air changes to maintain good air quality.
Combining the heating and ventilation functions gives optimum control and avoids the problem of co-ordinating and balancing separate heating and ventilation units.
The combined system also has significant benefits on the operation of the heating, since the system utilises a large air volume/low discharge temperature principle.
A modulating burner and damper system, controlled electronically, ensures full co-ordination of the heating and ventilation functions.
Between 20 per cent and 100 per cent fresh air may be utilised together with up to 80 per cent recirculated air. The 80/20 operation ensures excellent performance and low emissions.
On an installation for a large automotive plant, Nordair supplied 12 combined heating and ventilation units each with a rated air volume of 25m3/s. The system provides the sole means of heating for the plant while, at the same time, balancing the air extract systems from the process and painting areas.
Building pressure sensors also detect when the large loading doors are opened and the system instantly responds to minimise the influx of cold air.
Full fresh air
Significant improvements to the internal environment in summer have also been achieved by operating the combined heating and ventilation units on full fresh air.
Intelligent combined heating and ventilation units are an ideal cost effective and fuel efficient solution for a variety of industrial applications, sports arenas, aircraft hangars and exhibition halls.
Plus, Nordair Niche combined heating and ventilation units are eligible for Enhanced Capital Allowance applications, making it possible for end users to offset 100 per cent of the capital cost against corporation tax in the first 12 months.
And best of all, for the cost of a highly effective, economical and fuel-efficient heater, ventilation comes free!
1 March 2010