My Industrial Ventilation System Used to Work: The Role of System Documentation in Restoring System Performance

Transcription

1 RMS AIHA Technical Conference September 17, 2015 My Industrial Ventilation System Used to Work: The Role of System Documentation in Restoring System Performance Keith D. Robinson, P.E.

2 Presentation Outline My History Real System Examples Life-cycle of the Industrial Ventilation Systems ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 and the Role of Documentation Real System Recap Summary

3 My History Bachelor of Science of Mechanical Engineer from University of Colorado, Boulder Master of Science Engineering Systems from Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO What is Engineering Systems?

4 My History (continued) Worked at a metal fabrication plant. Plant had several different Industrial Ventilation issues: Make-up air system issues Fixed smoke and fume source (Plasma cutting table and welding stations) Movable smoke and fume sources (welding stations, grinding)

5 My History (continued) Worked as a mechanical engineer at a small consulting office. Modeled duct and piping systems Designed custom capture hoods Flow testing and balancing Designed and modeled process and exhaust system involving fluids and gasses Experience as both an end user and as a designer of Industrial Systems.

6 Audience Survey Of the audience, how many people are: Industrial Hygienists? Engineers? Operators? Facility/maintenance? Accountants/Finance? CEOs/COOs/CFOs?

7 Real System Examples Names have been changed to protect the innocent Nano Woodworking High Voltage Power Company

8 NanoWoodworking

9 High Voltage Power Company

10 High Voltage Power Company

11 Life-cycle of the IV system Complaints It s hot/cold. It s dusty. Every time I come to work I feel sick.

12 Life-cycle of the IV system Problem statement/project approval/system design

13 Life-cycle of the IV system System Construction/Startup/Commissioning

14 Life-cycle of the IV system Contentment/Congratulations

15 Life-cycle of the IV system Tweaking/Modifications/Expansions

16 Life-cycle of the IV system Complaints It s hot/cold. It s dusty. Every time I come to work I feel sick.

17 What Changed?

18 What role does documentation play in the life cycle of the industrial ventilation system?

19 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Provides a guideline for developing documentation for Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems While specifically intended for LEV systems, much of the standard can (should?) be applied to other Industrial Ventilation systems

20 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Design Documentation Emission Behavior What amount is released? How energetic is the release? Ambient air behavior Are there drafts or jets? Is there sufficient ventilation? Worker interaction with emission source

21 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Design documentation provides a basis for the requirements that the system needs to meet. Design documentation helps provide acceptance criteria for the system

22 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Plant/Facility Documentation Location of pollutant sources and air cleaning equipment How different pollution sources will operate Intermittent or Continuous Single shift/multiple shifts Can different emissions be combined or do they have to remain separated?

23 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Plant/Facility documentation helps guide the system design. It documents what needs to be accomplished. It is especially important to know if equipment is operating continuously or intermittently.

24 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Equipment Documentation Other systems (makeup air systems, other exhaust systems) Exhaust hoods Required flow rate Pressure vsflow rate curve Capture velocity vs flow rate curves Ductwork

25 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Equipment Documentation (continued) Stacks Does the stack have a cap? Does the plume from the stack recirculateinto a fresh air intake? Is the stack located so that dilution is sufficient? Air Cleaning Equipment Does air meet ANSI/AIHA Z9.7 for recirculation?

26 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Equipment Documentation (continued) Fan Fan curve Fan motor data Fan speed System curve Non-sparking design required (NPFA 91)

27 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Equipment documentation provides the reference concerning the capabilities of the equipment that make up the system.

28 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Management system documentation Performance Monitoring Test and Balance Procedures Operating Procedures Maintenance Procedures

29 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Management system documentation provides the reference that explains how the systems and support activities will operate.

30 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Management system is the critical factor in keeping an Industrial Ventilation system operating in an acceptable manner. Deferred maintenance is one of the biggest factors in system deterioration and poor performance.

31 ANSI/AIHA/ASSE Z9.2 Documentation is a multi-discipline document that includes Industrial Hygiene, Engineering, Operation, Maintenance, Testing, and Accounting.

32 What Changed?

33 NanoWoodworking

34 NanoWoodworking Issues uncovered: Undersized fan Undersized dust collector Multiple operating configurations Equipment added to system

35 High Voltage Power Company

36 High Voltage Power Company Issues uncovered: All system air bleedinsadjusted/closed by well meaning worker No documentation recording what the settings

37 What role does documentation play in the life cycle of the industrial ventilation system?

38 Summary Without documentation that summarizes the design intent, the capability of the equipment, and sets forth how the system will be operated and maintained, it is very difficult to restore a system to proper operation. In addition, the useful life of the system will be limited, in my opinion.