Ambient setting the standards in laboratory HVAC
BSI is actively involved in the development of standards to ensure quality, safety and
conformity within the laboratory sector.
When developing a new test facility within Kite House Hemel Hempstead, Ambient
was employed to realise the HVAC system to ensure air quality and environment
conformance within a wide range of process conditions.
Project Brief
BSI have a requirement to undertake multiple tests that involve a variety of
contaminants of a hazardous and volatile nature.
The process demanded a number of fume cupboards that were operated in variation
at changing volume flow rates.
Solution
Ambient liaised with the organisation to understand the process, identity the hazards
and develop an ‘on demand supply air system’ to maintain adequate supply air to
ensure the fume containment extract system operates correctly. To provide
conditioned air quality throughout the lab to meet the required internal condition and
occupancy levels, whilst maintaining additional extraction, to achieve a specific
continuous negative pressure of -20 Pa within the lab, to ensure potential
contaminated air is safely contained from the local environment.
The system was successfully commissioned to meet all variations of conditions and
air change rates, by employing a combination of an inverter driven VAV system,
regulated by a series of air pressure transducers and a specially developed control
system to engage additional extract to compensate for periods of low process
extraction.
Ambient scope
Risk assessment
Design basis
Quality plan
Design development
System conformity
Mechanical electrical specifications
Controls design / specifications
Installation of mechanical installation and controls System commissioning witnessed
validation
Client comment
Chris Morris (laboratory development manager) “Ambient work proactively to
understand the process and develop a system to achieve the required performance “
