Adjusting the air change rate can save energy in cleanrooms.
Cleanroom cleanliness is a prerequisite for production. Cleanrooms maintain a certain airflow rate to maintain cleanliness and particle count. The airflow rate is determined by the number of air changes per hour, which also determines fan size, building configuration, and energy consumption. While maintaining cleanliness, reducing airflow velocity can reduce construction and energy costs. A 20% reduction in air change rate can reduce fan size by 50%. Air cleanliness is more important than energy saving, but recent research has documented the reduction in cleanroom costs. Surveys show that the recommended air change rate range for ISO Class 5 cleanrooms is from 250 to over 700.
A national laboratory in the United States is determining the standards for ISO Class 5 cleanrooms. Research shows that the actual air change rate range is 90 to 250-much lower than the standard operating procedure-without affecting production or cleanliness. Therefore, it is recommended that the air change rate for ISO Class 5 cleanrooms be approximately 200, with a conservative upper limit of 300.
Cleanliness is important, but we cannot build high cleanliness on high energy consumption. Just as cars bring convenience, we must also pay attention to energy conservation and emission reduction. Cleanliness and energy conservation must go hand in hand to achieve the production efficiency we want.