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industrial strength workshop ventilation

updated thu 26 feb 98

 

Daniel L. Russ on wed 25 feb 98

Michelle,
If you really want to ventilate a space you need to move a lot of air.
You also need to create turbulence to stir up that which you wish to
remove (ie., dust, etc.). As a Fire Fighter I use what is called
'positive pressure ventilation' to rapidly clear a building of extreme
heat, toxic gases and smoke.

Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) works by forcing air into a space and
then controlling the exit point. This space could be as small as a room or
as large as the World Trade Center. The key in PPV is that you are not
trying to suck air out of the space but you are forcing air (and pressure)
into the space from the outside. This also requires that you have an opening ap
size (as your inlet) to exhaust your space. The exhaust opening controls
the direction of the airflow. Im my world we move from room to
room, opening and closing windows to get the desired results.
And the resulte are dramatic! Everything not bolted
down between the where the air is forced in and exhausted out is
outathere!

In the ceramic world this could be applied by mounting a good sized
exhaust fan so that it blows inward at one end of your shop. Mount
another fan (or just the shutters) at the other end of your shop. The
switch(es) could be remotly located. Make sure all papers and light
articles are secured prior to throwing the switch. If the dust is extreme
stay out of the room for a few minutes, at least.

I hope this helps. I personaly use an evaporative cooler
to do the job in my limited space. Once the dust is removed I work in
comfort.

Nevada Dan russ@scs.unr.edu
Laguna supplier to Northern Nevada and California

Located in Reno, Nevada Just 30 miles from the greatest skiing in the
west!