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As the setting for experimentation, testing or analysis, a laboratory is a specialised environment. Whether the laboratory is at a university, manufacturing plant, medical or private research facility, its operation must be reliable and energy efficient. In every case, control and automation of ventilation is vital to safeguard researchers by potential exposure to gases that are poisonous, reactive or flammable, or from air circulation that carry bacteria and viruses.

Design and operation must maintain safety and efficiency while working to provide a comfortable environment for researchers.

Universities

A university research and teaching facility is a specialized environment and its operation must be reliable and energy efficient. In every case, the facilities control and automation systems are vital to the researchers’ and students’ comfort, safety and the integrity of their work.

Biocontainment Laboratories

Biocontainment laboratories deal with microorganisms that in many cases can cause disease in humans and in some cases cause disease in plants or animals. These laboratories are often called microbiological and biomedical laboratories. Since ventilation design and operation play a key role in containment facilities, a thorough understanding of the specialised requirements is necessary to safeguard researchers and other occupants of the building from potential exposure through inhalation.

Clean Rooms

Clean rooms are designed to provide a working environment with minimal airborne particulate materials and constant temperature, humidity, air pressure, and airflow patterns. Clean rooms need positive pressurisation to prevent infiltration that could compromise requirements for cleanliness.

An airlock is a transition room that is used to gain access to a cleanroom that must maintain its pressure even during disturbances such as a door opening. The use of airlocks provides assurance that pressure relationships are constantly maintained, and air remains flowing from clean to dirty, and they reduce the need for the control system to respond to large disturbances.

Vivariums

Vivariums require more detailed and focused design engineering than most other types of laboratory environments. The stability and quality of the animals’ environment are vital to their well-being and to the integrity of research. The provision of clean air is critical for both the animals and caregivers. The ventilation system must create a safe, comfortable working environment. In addition, it must ensure that contaminated and odorous air is exhausted and pressure gradients with directional airflow are maintained.

Chemistry Labs

Ventilation systems for chemistry laboratories are often subjected to rapid changes or disturbances from the opening and closing of fume cupboard sashes at once, or from turning on large pieces of heat generating equipment and hoods. Such disturbances require a fast response from control and automation systems to maintain the precise conditions in the laboratory.