Design criteria for air filtration in general industrial ventilation.

There has been lack of fact-based knowledge for design and operation of supply-air filters for general industrial ventilation. A multi-company project within the Industrial Ventilation (INVENT) technology programme was started in 1994 to tackle this problem area which is assumed to be the most problematic one, according to the feedback from end-users in several industries, who also made the initiative to this project. The main objectives of the project were to clarify a methodology for control of particulate contaminants in industrial premises, and to define the basic criteria for design and optimal selection of supply and recirculation air filters. This methodology will take into account outdoor air quality, desired indoor air quality, emissions from the processes and cleaning of ductwork and equipment. The first stage of the project, finalized in the end of 1995, included state-of-art surveys, preliminary case studies and a preliminary proposal for the filter performance classification. The second stage, currently ongoing, will include validation of the existing knowledge by laboratory and field tests, development of an expert system for filter selection, and draft contributions to the international Design Guide Book for Industrial Ventilation (DGB).