The study on influencing factors of airflow in laboratory fume hood

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of the side wind flowing directly from different indoor environments on the airflow of the laboratory fume hood (LFH). When an LFH is used to discharge the harmful from the laboratory, the side wind can affect the airflow of the LFH, which is likely to cause the leakage of harmful fumes. In this study, incense was used to simulate harmful fumes, sampling and analysis of the total suspended particulate concentrations were performed in an LFH under different side wind conditions with or without air conditioning, operator, laboratory door open, and electric fan when the fume hood sash (FHS) is at the top, middle, and bottom positions, respectively. A laser pen and hot-wire anemometer are employed to demonstrate the airflow of the smoke and wind speed in different indoor environmental conditions. The experimental results reveal that the airflow field and distribution of harmful fumes in the LFH can be changed according to the different heights of the FHS and changes in the external airflow. Therefore, when using the LFH, the influence of the external airflow should be reduced, and the LFH should be operated for a few minutes before switching it off.