Air Velocity Range Research Articles

Assessing effect of wind tunnel sizes on air velocity and concentration boundary layers and on ammonia emission estimation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different geometric sizes of wind tunnels on aerial boundary layers above the emission surface and therefore their effect on ammonia emission using CFD tool. Five wind tunnels of different sizes were used for the CFD simulation. Detail experimental measurements on air velocity and concentration profiles above the emission surface were realised using average inlet velocities of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 m s −1 in two wind tunnels under isothermal condition. The TAN (Total Ammoniacal Nitrogen) and pH of ammonia aqueous solution were kept constant during the experiments. The boundary conditions necessary for the CFD study were obtained from the measured experimental data. The CFD model used for simulations was first validated using the data from the two wind tunnel experiments. For assessing the effects of wind tunnel size, the air velocity range of 0.1–0.6 m s −1 was used in CFD investigations. It was found that the velocity and concentration boundary layer thickness decreased with the increase of inlet air velocity where the concentration boundary was thinner than the corresponding velocity boundary layer. Wind tunnel sizes affected both velocity and concentration boundary layer thicknesses ( P < 0.001). The velocity and concentration boundary layer was thicker in a wind tunnel with larger heights than in small height. The over estimation of ammonia emission of smaller wind tunnels were observed comparing to the largest wind tunnel or open field situation ( P < 0.001). Non-linear regression equations were developed using four wind tunnels data for velocity boundary layer thickness ( δ u ), concentration boundary layer thickness ( δ c ), and ammonia mass transfer coefficient ( k G ) as a function of wind tunnel height ( H) and average inlet velocity ( u m ), which given clear quantitative indication of effects of H, and u m on δ u , δ c , and k G , respectively.

Fluidized and vibrofluidized shallow beds of fresh leaves

The fluid dynamics behavior of shallow fluidized and vibrofluidized beds operating with fresh leaves was investigated with the aim of exploring drying applications in a modified conveyor belt (MCB) system, which may be operated in a fixed- or fluidized-bed mode. Leaves of the specimens Duranta repens, Schinus molle, Coleus barbatus, Buxus sempervirens, and Bougainvillea spectabilis were tested with a range of sphericities from 0.063 to 0.213, bulk densities from 0.038 to 0.251 g/cm 3, apparent densities from 0.52 to 0.97 g/cm 3 and ratios of total surface area to volume from 21 to 224 cm −1. Fluidization characteristic curves were obtained by measuring pressure drops versus air velocity in a rectangular column of 0.20 m × 0.11 m cross section. It was not possible to reach real fluidized regimes with the leaves due to strongly non-homogeneous beds. Nevertheless, the characteristic curves allowed for the identification of a transition regime from fixed- to expanded-beds, and parameters such as air velocity and pressure drop obtained from the experimental data at the transition were reproducible for specimens with lower surface area or lower specific gravity (i.e., Duranta repens, Schinus molle, and Bougainvillea spectabilis). The transition velocity and pressure drop could not be predicted by the literature developed for estimating minimum fluidization conditions. The use of vibration at dimensionless vibration parameters ( Γ) of 0.5 and 1.0 helped to reduce channeling and decrease the transition velocities from fixed to expanded regimes although it did not affect the pressure drops after the bed expansion. The results suggest that drying fresh leaves using the MCB dryer operating in a fluidized mode would not be feasible because none of the materials investigated attained a high-quality fluidization. Operation of the MCB dryer may be possible by alternating between the fixed and vibrofluidized modes. For the specimens tested, the drying should be performed in a range of air velocities from 0.50 to 0.60 m/s to ensure that the operation is in a vibrofluidized regime. The choice of an adequate vibration parameter will depend on the leaf characteristics because the use of Γ = 0.5 or 1.0 and amplitude of vibration of 4 or 5 mm did not result in appreciable differences on the fluid dynamics behavior of vibrofluidized beds for the conditions investigated.

A Novel Method for Saving Energy of HVAC Using Autonomous Variable Air Velocity Based On Thermal Comfort

The tower building categories used in the energy breakdown are Electric lighting, the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) auxiliary and Office equipment. The HVAC system has the greatest energy saving potential as it is the major energy consumer. It consumes approximately 64 percent of the total building energy. A good HVAC in buildings helps reduce energy use and maintain occupant comfort. To this end, there are many systems and equipment conditions to observe HVAC systems. This paper critically examines indoor climate control technologies to reduce the HVAC system energy. The autonomous variable air volume diffusers are interconnected to simulate the responses of the system. The constrained optimal control problem is formulated and solved for increased operative temperature. The experiment results show that by increasing the operative temperature from 25°C to 27°C, the electrical energy can be saved by 11.64 percent. The proposed method feeds back the output air to input boundary conditions of the same human thermal sensation even though the air velocity distributions in the sections are different from each other. The experiment results also show that the proposed method can maintain the PMV values in an interval of -0.5 to +0.5 at an acceptable air velocity range.

One dimensional thermal analysis of silicon carbide ceramic foam used for solar air receiver

Using air as heat transfer fluid for electricity generation offers some significant advantages for the development of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP): high conversion efficiency, low environmental impact and being used in deserts or other areas scarce of water resources. Silicon carbide ceramic foams have the characteristics of light weight, high strength, large specific surface areas, high porosity and excellent thermal shock resistance performance which make them particularly fit for absorber material in CSP. In this paper, thermal performance of silicon carbide ceramic foam as solar air receiver is investigated analytically based on the one dimensional physical model. The analytical results show that the air flow resistance increases obviously with increasing air outlet temperature, the air flow resistance while the air outlet temperature is equal to 1000 °C is nearly 3 times the one while the air outlet temperature is equal to 20 °C with air velocity range is between one and six meters per second. The results of one dimensional analysis of flow and heat transfer process of ceramic foams suggest that there exists an input solar energy flux limit for the unpressurized system, which will lead to limit the power capacity and the outlet air temperature enhancement.

Contribution of Facial Feature Dimensions and Velocity Parameters on Particle Inhalability

To examine whether the actual dimensions of human facial features are important to the development of a low-velocity inhalable particulate mass sampling criterion, this study evaluated the effect of facial feature dimensions (nose and lips) on estimates of aspiration efficiency of inhalable particles using computational fluid dynamics modeling over a range of indoor air and breathing velocities. Fluid flow and particle transport around four humanoid forms with different facial feature dimensions were simulated. All forms were facing the wind (0.2, 0.4 m s(-1)), and breathing was simulated with constant inhalation (1.81, 4.3, 12.11 m s(-1)). The fluid flow field was solved using standard k-epsilon turbulence equations, and laminar particle trajectories were used to determine critical areas defining inhaled particles. The critical areas were then used to compute the aspiration efficiency of the mouth-breathing humanoid. One-tailed t-tests indicated that models with larger nose and lip features resulted in significantly lower aspiration efficiencies than geometries with smaller features, but the shape of the orifice into the mouth (rounded rectangle versus elliptical) had no effect on aspiration efficiency. While statistically significant, the magnitudes of differences were small: on average, the large nose reduced aspiration efficiency by 6.5% and the large lips reduced aspiration efficiency by 3.2%. In comparison, a change in breathing velocity from at-rest to heavy increased aspiration efficiency by an average of 21% over all particle sizes, indicating a much greater impact of aspiration efficiency on breathing rate in the facing-the-wind orientation. Linear regression models confirmed that particle diameter and breathing velocity were significant predictors to the aspiration fraction, while the facial feature dimensions were not significant contributors to a unifying model. While these effects may be less pronounced as the orientation changes from facing-the-wind, their impact confirms the importance of breathing velocity and, to a lesser extent, facial feature dimensions on exposure estimates in low freestream velocities typical of occupational environments.

Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Under Dry and Humid Conditions in Flat-Tube Heat Exchangers With Plain Fins

Flat-tube heat exchangers could be an interesting alternative to make indirect cooling of display cabinets more energy-efficient. This application involves low air velocities in combination with condensation of water vapor on the air side, so plain fins could be suitable. Two different heat exchangers having flat tubes and plain fins on the air side were evaluated experimentally. One of the heat exchangers had continuous plate fins, and the other had serpentine fins. The performances during dry and wet test conditions were compared and related to theoretical predictions for different assumptions. The influence of air velocity, air humidity, and inclination angle was investigated. The results show that, in most cases, the heat transfer performance is somewhat reduced under wet conditions in comparison with dry test conditions, and that wet heat transfer surfaces lead to an increased pressure drop. At the lower air velocity range that was investigated, the heat exchanger having continuous plate fins drained better than the one with serpentine fins.

Dense-phase pneumatically conveyed coal particle velocity measurement using electrostatic probes

The fundamental measurement theory of an electrostatic probe and cross-correlation velocity measurement method are introduced in this paper. The effects of the probe's geometric parameters, including the length of the probe; the thickness, length and relative permittivity of the dielectric pipe; the radius of the screen on the dimensionless calibration coefficient ( k), and the statistical error of the transit time ( τ m) of the correlation velocity measurement system using electrostatic probes were investigated theoretically. Finally the measurement system was applied in a 10 mm bore horizontal section of a dense-phase pneumatic conveying system under high pressure circulating pulverized coal over a superficial air velocity range of 0.5–7 m/s for a particle concentration 0.052–0.141 m 3/m 3. The experimental results that were obtained demonstrate that the system is capable of providing solid particle velocity measurements with repeatability better than 10% under the given experimental conditions.

An experimental study of energy-saving pneumatic conveying system in a horizontal pipeline with dune model

Abstract In order to reduce power consumption and conveying velocity, a pneumatic conveying system where a dune model is mounted in a pipeline is proposed in this paper. The experimental study focuses on the effect of the mounted dune model in the horizontal pneumatic conveying system in terms of pressure drop, power consumption and conveying velocity. The test pipeline consisted of a horizontal smooth acrylic tube with an inside diameter of 80 mm and a length of about 5 m. Polyethylene spherical particles with a density of 952 kg/m3 and diameters of 2.3 and 3.3 mm are used as conveying materials. The mean air velocity is varied from 9 to 16 m/s, and the solid mass flow rate is from 0.25 to 0.45 kg/s. Firstly, the effect of the dune model location on pneumatic conveying is experimentally studied. It is found that in the lower air velocity range, the pressure drop of the pneumatic conveying with a mounted dune model is lower than that of a conventional pneumatic conveying system. A lower conveying velocity and energy-saving conveying can be realized by installing a dune model in the conveying pipe. Especially the case of fixing the dune model on the bottom of the pipe at the inlet of particle feed is more effective. The particle flow patterns also show that the dune model reduces the deposition of particles. Then, the effect of different surface materials of the dune model is examined. By using a surface material of the dune model with a large coefficient of restitution, the pressure drop of conveying large particles is the lowest. When conveying relatively small particles, however, the pressure drop becomes the lowest by a small coefficient of restitution. The maximum reduction rates of the minimum velocity and power consumption by the dune model are about 19% and 34%, respectively.

Ultrafine Particles Deposition Inside Passenger Vehicles

Although commuting time typically accounts for only 6% of the day for Americans, it has become a significant source of exposure to ultrafine particles (d p < 0.1 μ m) from vehicular emissions. Particle deposition onto surfaces, as an important particle loss mechanism, has been studied extensively in the indoor environments. However since air velocities, surface area to volume ratios and other contributing factors differ greatly between indoor and in-cabin environments, conclusions from indoor studies may not be directly applied to in-cabin microenvironments. In this study, ultrafine particle deposition rates were characterized under a range of air velocities and surface areas conditions inside different types of passenger vehicles. A diesel generator was used as a particle source and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) was used to measure ultrafine particle size distribution inside the test vehicles. As in-cabin air velocities increased from natural convection (< 0.02 m s–1 ) to 0.65 m s–1 , ultrafi...

Exergetic performance assessment of a pilot-scale heat pump belt conveyor dryer

In this study, olive leaves were dried in a pilot-scale heat pump (HP) belt conveyor dryer as a thin layer. Drying experiments were carried out at the drying air temperature range of 45–55°C with the drying air velocity range of 0.5–1.5 m s−1. The performance of the system and the process was evaluated using exergy analysis method. The exergy loss and flow diagram (the so-called Grassmann diagram) of the dryer system was presented to give quantitative information regarding the proportion of the exergy input that is dissipated in the various system components. Effects of the drying air temperature and the velocity on the performance of the drying process were discussed. The actual coefficient of performance values were obtained to be 2.37 for the HP unit and 2.31 for the overall system, respectively. The most important component of the system for improving the efficiency was determined to be the compressor. Exergetic efficiencies of the drying of olive leaves were in the range of 67.45–81.95%. It was obtained that they increased as the drying air temperature decreased and the drying air velocity increased. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An improved drying model for highly-impermeable hardwoods

Abstract Previously reported drying experiments on highly impermeable hardwoods have shown that bell-shaped within-board moisture content profiles develop as drying proceeds, with a change in concavity around the fibre saturation point. However, drying models based on Fick's second law of diffusion with an Arrhenius temperature dependency for the diffusion coefficient predict a parabolic form. The present work showed that the influence of moisture content on the diffusion coefficient must also be considered to improve these drying predictions. A drying model that includes both temperature and moisture content effects on the diffusion coefficient was developed. This model is able to accurately predict the drying rates and within-board moisture content profiles of New Zealand's indigenous red and hard beech timbers for various timber thicknesses over a range of temperatures, relative humidities and air velocities used in practice.

Optimized design of floor-based air-conditioners for residential use

The feasibility of locating the air-conditioners at low level (FAC unit) for residential use has been ascertained in previous studies by the authors. In order to optimize the design of the unit for maximum thermal comfort, an FAC unit configured to two different angles of deflection and two installed positions (altogether 4 scenarios) was set-up in a 13 m 2 bedroom-like chamber for experimental studies. In the experiments, the layout of the chamber was determined by questionnaire surveys, and the characteristics of heat source were determined by heat transfer simulations and cluster analysis. The local air speeds and temperatures at 4 different levels of 8 positions were monitored for the calculation of air diffusion performance index (ADPI) and draft risk. The energy performance was determined based upon the monitored cooling outputs and power consumptions. Using the measured air temperatures and velocities as boundary conditions, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations were performed using AIRPAK to examine the vertical temperature distribution, draft discomfort and ventilation effectiveness. It was concluded that the FAC unit with an angle of deflection at 45° and with a finished level of 1.1 m performs better than the unit with other configurations. No thermal stratification and draft discomfort were observed. Further, by using parametric studies, the influences of space cooling loads, supply air velocities, and jet areas were investigated with 24 CFD cases. Based on the simulation results, for a satisfactory ADPI for the use of FAC unit, the optimum supply air velocity range was identified as 2.2 m/s–3 m/s, whilst the A r numbers were between 0.033 and 0.243.

Dense-phase pneumatically conveyed coal particle velocity measurement using electrostatic probes and cross correlation algorithm

The fundamental measurement theory of an electrostatic probe and cross-correlation velocity measurement method are introduced in the paper. The effects of the probe's geometric parameters including the length of the probe, the thickness, the length and the relative permittivity of the dielectric pipe, the radius of the screen on the dimensionless calibration coefficient (k) and the statistical error of the transit time (τm) of the correlation velocity measurement system using electrostatic probes were investigated theoretically. Finally the measurement system was applied in a 10 mm bore horizontal section of a dense phase pneumatic conveying system under high pressure circulating pulverized coal over a superficial air velocity range of 0.5-7 m/s for a particle concentration 0.052-0.141 m3/m3. Experimental results obtained demonstrate that the system is capable of providing solid particle velocity measurements with repeatability better than 10 % under the given experimental conditions.

Water management studies in PEM fuel cells, Part II: Ex situ investigation of flow maldistribution, pressure drop and two-phase flow pattern in gas channels

Two-phase flow of water and reactant gases in the gas distribution channels of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) plays a critical role in proper water management. In this work, the two-phase flow in PEMFC cathode parallel channels is studied over a wide range of superficial air velocity (air stoichiometry) and superficial water velocity in a specially designed ex situ experimental setup, which enables the measurement of instantaneous flow rates in individual gas channels and simultaneous visualization of the water flow structure. It is found that the two-phase flow at low superficial air velocities (air stoichiometry below 5) is dominated by slugs or semi-slugs, leading to severe flow maldistribution and large fluctuations in the pressure drop. Slug residence time, measured from the video observation and the instantaneous flow rate data, is found to be a new parameter to describe the slug flow. At higher air velocities, a water film is formed on the channel walls if they are hydrophilic. The pressure drop for the film flow is characterized by smaller but frequent fluctuations, which are found to result from the water buildup at the channel-exit manifold interface. As the superficial air velocity increases further, mist flow is obtained where little water buildup is observed. The water buildup in the gas channels at the two-phase flow is well described by the two-phase friction multiplier, defined as the ratio of the two-phase pressure drop to the single gas phase pressure drop. It is found that the two-phase friction multiplier increases with increasing water flow rate. A flow pattern map is developed using superficial water and air velocities with clearly defined transition regions.

The Transient Response of Capacitive Thin-Film Polymer Humidity Sensors

The transient response of capacitive thin-film polymer humidity sensors to step changes in humidity and temperature as a function of air velocity was investigated. Two duct-mounted humidity sensors (designated Candidate X and Candidate Y) from two manufacturers, each with thin-film capacitive humidity sensing elements and temperature output, were used in the study. The transient performance of each test sensor was characterized by measuring the time constants of the relative humidity (RH) and temperature outputs in response to step changes in RH and temperature over a range of air velocities. Duct air velocities of 0 (still air), 200, 500, 800, and 1100 ft/min (0, 1.0, 2.5, 4.1, and 5.6 m/s) were considered along with step changes in RH of 20%–40% and step changes in air temperature of 0°F (isothermal), 9°F, and 18°F (0°C, 5°C, and 10°C). The effects of a positive or negative RH step change direction (lower to higher RH and vice versa) were also considered. Results showed that the RH time constants of both sensors decreased asymptotically with increasing duct air velocity for all testing conditions. For the isothermal tests, the average RH time constants of the Candidate X and Y sensors were approximately 4 and 18 s, respectively. When a step change in temperature was introduced, the RH time constants increased by factors of 100 and 12 over the isothermal values, respectively. With the exception of the still-air tests, the time constant of the Candidate X sensor for negative RH step changes was, on average, about 65% less than compared to positive RH step changes. For the Candidate Y sensor, a time-constant dependency on RH step-change direction was not observed.

Estimating the effects of ambient conditions on the performance of UVGI air cleaners

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) uses UVC radiation produced by low pressure mercury vapor lamps to control biological air contaminants. Ambient air velocity and temperature have a strong effect on lamp output by influencing the lamp surface cold spot temperature. In-duct UVGI systems are particularly susceptible to ambient effects due to the range of velocity and temperature conditions they may experience. An analytical model of the effect of ambient conditions on lamp surface temperature was developed for three common lamp types in cross flow from a convective–radiative energy balance assuming constant surface temperature. For one lamp type, a single tube standard output lamp, UVC output and cold spot temperature data were obtained under typical in-duct operating conditions. Over an ambient temperature range of 10–32.2 °C and an air velocity range of 0–3.25 m/s, measured cold spot temperature varied from 12.7 to 41.9 °C and measured lamp output varied by 68% of maximum. Surface temperatures predicted by the heat transfer model were 6–17 °C higher than corresponding measured cold spot temperatures, but were found to correlate well with cold spot temperature via a two-variable linear regression. When corrected using this relationship, the simple model predicted the cold spot temperature within 1 °C and lamp UVC output within ±5%. To illustrate its practical use, the calibrated lamp model was employed in a simulation of the control of a contaminant in a single-zone ventilation system by an in-duct UVGI device. In this example, failure to account for the impact of ambient condition effects resulted in under-prediction of average space concentration by approximately 20% relative to a constant output system operating at maximum UVC output.

The Effect of Ventilation on Performance Body and Surface Temperature of Young Turkeys

Efficient ventilation affects thermoregulation and, thereby, the performance of domestic fowl. This became crucial as genetic selection for growth development significantly coupled with increased metabolic rate. The specific aims of this study were to elucidate a) the effects of different rates of ventilation on young turkey performance during exposure to constant 35, 30, and 25 degrees C and b) their effects on body temperature and surface temperature. In 3 separate experiments, turkeys were raised under regular conditions up to 3 wk of age. Thereafter, they were acclimated for 1 wk to the targeted ambient temperatures (T(a)) and to air velocities of 0.8, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 m/s and raised under those conditions up to 6 wk of age. Turkeys exposed to 35 degrees C performed optimally at an air velocity (AV) of 2 m/s; they exhibited significantly higher feed intake and significantly lower body temperature. At 30 degrees C, performance was optimal at AV of 1.5 to 2.5 m/s and significantly lower at 0.8 m/s. Performance of turkeys exposed to 25 degrees C did not vary with AV. Comparison of BW and feed intakes of turkeys exposed to the 3T(a) levels revealed significantly higher feed intake at 25 degrees C but similar BW compared with those exposed to 30 degrees C, meaning that those exposed to 25 degrees C used more energy for maintenance than for growth. In general, surface temperature of the body declined significantly with T(a), whereas that of the face and legs was significantly lower at 25 degrees C. It can be concluded that AV affects the performance of young turkeys. The range of AV within which BW was optimal expanded as T(a) declined. It can be further concluded that the combination of 30 degrees C with AV from 1.5 to 2.5 m/s was optimal for young turkeys.

Collection Efficiency Evaluation of Baffle-Type Pre-Separator Configurations: Effects of Baffle Location and Inlet Velocities

Some cotton gins across the Cotton Belt use an abatement system consisting of a baffle-type pre-separator followed by cyclones to control the emissions from the cotton gin's various exhausts. Very limited information exists in the literature which discusses the effects of baffle location and critical velocity on the pre-separator's collection efficiency. In this study, a range of critical air velocities and loading rates were evaluated to determine the effect of baffle location of the pre-separator's collection efficiency when using cotton gin waste. None of the treatments significantly affected the over-sized cyclone or over-all collection efficiency. The pre-separator collection efficiency was higher (81%) when the baffle placed at one-third the overall width of the pre-separator from the inlet than when placed at one-half (78%) or two-thirds (75%). The pre-separator collection efficiency was 79.4% at 18.3-m s-1 (3600-fpm) inlet velocity which was significantly higher than 78.2% at 20.3 m s-1 (4000 fpm) and 78.5% at 22.4 m s-1 (4400 fpm). Loading rate did significantly affect the pre-separator efficiency, but not to the extent of inlet velocity. The sieve analysis indicated that the pre-separator removed the majority of material larger than 180 µm; however, the pre-separator did allow a substantial amount of lint to pass through to the cyclone. The baffle-type pre-separator performed well in reducing the course material loading rate entering the cyclone.

The Acceptable Air Velocity Range for Local Air Movement in The Tropics

The perception of locally applied airflow was studied with tropical subjects who had become passively acclimatized to hot conditions in the course of their day-to-day life. During the experiments, 24 subjects (male and female) performed normal office work in a room equipped with six workstations. They were exposed to local airflow from the front and toward the face at six air velocities (0.15, 0.3, 0.45, 0.6, 0.75, and 0.9 m/s) at ambient temperatures of 26°C, and 23.5°C and local air temperatures of 26°C, 23.5°C, and 21°C. Each combination was maintained for 15 minutes, during which the subjects responded to computer-administered questionnaires on their thermal and draft sensations using visual-analogue scales. The results showed that the subjects preferred air movement within a certain range, i.e., a higher percentage was dissatisfied at both low and high velocity values. Most dissatisfaction with air movement is caused by thermal sensation, with air movement perception accounting for a smaller proportion. The subjects preferred air movement to be between “just right” and “slightly breezy” and preferred their thermal sensation to be between “neutral” and “slightly cool.” The study also identified an acceptable air velocity range from 0.3 up to 0.9 m/s under the experimental conditions. This velocity range is relevant for the design of personalized ventilation in practice. This preferred velocity range is higher than the maximum velocity permissible under ASHRAE Standard 55 (ASHRAE 2004) in situations where subjects have no control over local air movement.

Is it time to change your filters?: The answer depends on a variety of factors, all of which will impact the performance of spray booths 0

Designing an optimal system of fans, filters, and chambers is a difficult task and requires some trade-offs. But once the trade-offs are analyzed, an economical system is realized. We suggest that filters be replaced at a total filter pressure drop of 3 inch static pressure. This implies that the chamber is structurally designed to withstand this pressure. The filters will be able to hold all of the paint overspray without making a mess on the floor. The fan will be very stable over its intended range. The filter chamber can be economically designed to withstand the pressures. Further, with a range as great as this, it is essential that the prudent designer use variable speed fan motors to compensate for the wide range of paint booth air velocities that are possible. The paint booth airflow should be constant in the selected pressure range. Any attempt to operate above this range will result in alarms and attenuation of system performance and an ever noticeable performance drop-off from a painting standpoint.