The calculation of air renewal in industrial environments serves to identify what rate of air exchange per hour should occur according to the characteristics of each site. From air conditioning, through industrial air conditioners to the use of natural ventilation resources, it is essential that companies are aware of these values and follow the regulations.
These standards exist to ensure the quality of indoor air, well-being, thermal comfort, respiratory health and salubrious conditions for people working in industrial warehouses. Professionals who feel well in their work environment - that is, without symptoms such as headache, dry throat, and even breathing difficulties and with good concentration capacity, tend to be more productive, which directly contributes to the company's results.
Obtaining good air circulation in industrial environments only brings benefits to the industry, so it is essential to think about this for your new warehouse projects. Check out this post to learn a little more about how to calculate air renewal in industrial indoor environments.
How air renewal rate works in industry
When it comes to calculating air renewal in industrial indoor environments, the reference is to the total exchange of air volume present in an enclosure in a given time. The rate is measured in exchanges per hour, as can be seen in the following table, and establishes that, by means of ventilation resources, that warehouse should exchange all the internal air for X times every hour.
To perform this calculation it is necessary to have the dimensions of the house (obtaining its total volume) and the openings for air inlet and outlet, enabling understanding of the flow (volume of air leaving the house per second). From this it is possible to determine how long it will take for all the air to leave the house and be replaced by a new volume, and how many times per hour it is recommended, for that environment, that this occurs.
This is the main parameter that should be analyzed when implementing ventilation features in industrial sheds, so check out below how you can size and put into practice this understanding.
What to consider when calculating air renewal in industrial environments
According to Greenheck's table (2002) and even according to the different norms on the subject, it is possible to identify that each different type of building or shed has specific air renewal rates.
Air Renewal Table. Source: (MB Group Solutions Catalog)
However, the calculation of air renewal in rooms involves a number of factors to arrive at these somewhat standardized figures. Each location will have a different appropriate air exchange rate per hour taking into account the following variable aspects:
- dimensions of the shed (total internal area);
- type, number, and location of air intake and exhaust vents;
- air circulation speed;
- positioning of the building in relation to the sun;
- incidence of wind at the construction site;
- variação térmica;
- weather conditions of the site;
- relative humidity;
- thermal load or contaminant load that needs to be countered with air renewal.
These are some examples of aspects that need to be studied in loco with precise measurements in order to have a notion of the needs of each environment. Another way to perform these analyses is by means of virtual CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) tools, allowing the performance of tests aimed at obtaining natural ventilation efficiency.
In addition, the type of warehouse and of products or equipment stored internally also influences the calculation of air renewal in industrial indoor environments. When analyzing each of these aspects on the job site one must then take into account all the elements that can add heat to the environment, or even block air passages, in order to understand the scenario and offer the best solution for your new project.
To learn more about the advantages of performing the calculation of air renewal in industrial environments, contact our team of specialists, which has been a reference in the segment of natural lighting and ventilation for industries for 20 years!
