Scope
MTG.ACR will coordinate TC/TG/TRG/SSPC technical activities to help evaluate the technical basis and adoption of airflow rate specifications in terms of Air Change Rate (ACR) or Air Changes per Hour (ACH) for spaces such as cleanrooms, laboratories, patient rooms, operating rooms, and other similar spaces. Responsibilities include the development of research projects, development and presentation of technical programs for all types of spaces which currently require ACR specifications, and a special publication detailing aspects of the ACR philosophy and practice. The work of this MTG will potentially impact design guidelines, ASHRAE Handbook, and related ASHRAE standards. This MTG intends to involve other national and international groups and organizations in these efforts.
Objective/Impact
Cleanrooms, laboratories, and healthcare spaces including patient rooms, airborne infection isolation rooms, operating rooms and other similar facilities are required to maintain anywhere between 4 to 300
Air Changes per Hour (ACH). Guidelines, codes, and standards for such specifications are traditionally based on judgment of experienced practitioners. Since the ACH specification involves “volume” of the space which tend to penalize spaces with high ceilings without explicit supporting scientific justification. With increased emphasis on energy efficiency and associated costs of HVAC operations it is important to evaluate the basis of such specifications. The underlying principles of contaminant dilution and removal are similar across most of the different applications. While keeping the safety of people and products as a primary goal, this group will conduct systematic investigations through rational analysis, literature reviews, and research to determine the appropriate basis for the specification of dilution airflow rates for these applications. Additionally, this group will attempt to find a common - basis for dilution airflow specifications to different applications such as cleanrooms, laboratories, and healthcare facilities. Where scientific basis cannot be definitively identified, research activities will be proposed through the ASHRAE research process.
This group will bring together expertise from various ASHRAE groups (TC 9.02, TC9.06, TC9.10, TC9.11, SSPC 62.1, SSPC 170) and from other non-ASHRAE organizations (see below) to work in close collaboration to achieve the following objectives:
- Systematically investigate relationships between specified airflow rates and associated safety of people and products.
- Evaluate a correlation between the strength and location of contaminant sources and airflow rates to obtain the desired levels of contamination control.
- Compile definitions and descriptions of different terminologies for air change effectiveness, dilution effectiveness, ventilation effectiveness, and contaminant removal effectiveness.
- Develop an in-depth understanding of relationship between ACR and various (ventilation) effectiveness definitions. Evaluate the impact of HVAC configuration including airflow distribution, flow path of contaminants, and locations and type of supply and return devices on ventilation effectiveness.
- Quantitatively correlate concentration of contaminants with various measures of ventilation. Determine which measures correlate best, and the modeling assumptions necessary to support use of a variable as a design criterion.
- Investigate the basis for the current ACR specifications for various facilities including cleanrooms, laboratories, patient rooms, operating rooms, and other similar spaces. Compare US standards and guidelines for such specifications with those available in other countries.
- Based on the above evaluations publish the evaluations of the existing ACH specifications in the current ASHRAE guidelines and standards.
- Develop recommendations for appropriate units for the specification of dilution airflow rates.
Also note this group would not be limited to ventilation and infiltration studies as in the scope of TC4.3. Activities of this group would help in optimizing the use of ASHRAE resources including ASHRAE research funds by avoiding duplicate efforts among different TCs. Findings of the research and literature review will be disseminated through special publications, ASHRAE Handbooks, ASHRAE conferences and other special conferences on the subject. The outcome of these efforts will be communicated to ASHRAE standards committees, regulatory authorities, and other similar organizations to facilitate any modifications in their codes and standards.
Roster
Name
|
Committee Position
|
Voting
|
Representing
|
Members
|
Dr Kishor K Khankari PhD |
Chair |
Voting |
|
Mr Roland Charneux |
Vice Chair |
Voting |
|
Mr James J Coogan |
Research Subcommittee Chair |
Voting |
RESEARCH SUBC CH/TC 9.10 VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Gary Goodson, PE |
Webmaster |
Non-voting |
|
Mr Robert B Burkhead |
Member |
Voting |
TC 2.4 VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Michael C Connor |
Member |
Voting |
TC 9.2 VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Daniel L Doyle |
Member |
Voting |
12SL INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE LABORATORIES MEMBER |
Mr Henry W Hays |
Member |
Voting |
TC 2.2 VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Roger W. Lautz, PE |
Member |
Voting |
TC 9.6 VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Michael D Locke |
Member |
Voting |
SSPC 170 VOTING MEMBER |
Kenneth R Mead, PE |
Member |
Voting |
NIOSH VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Philip J Naughton |
Member |
Voting |
TC 9.11 VOTING MEMBER |
Mr R Gaylon Richardson |
Member |
Voting |
TC 5.3 - VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Kevin A Scarlett |
Member |
Voting |
SSPC 170 VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Thomas C Smith |
Member |
Voting |
AIHA VOTING MEMBER |
Mr Nick H Agopian |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
SSPC 62.1 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Adam R Bare |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 9.10 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
James S Bennett |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
NIOSH ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Erich Binder |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 9.2 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Clifford A Cooper |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
AIHA ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Michael D Corbat |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 2.4 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Ms Carol Ann Donovan |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 2.2 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Travis R English |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 9.6 ALTERNATE |
Mr Kevin J Gebke |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 5.3 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Kenneth Richard Goodman |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC.9.11 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Dr Larry D Howlett |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 2.2 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Michael S Meteyer |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 9.6 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Stephen W Nicholas |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 2.4 ALTERNATE |
Mr Jose F Palma |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC5.3 - ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr David Rausch |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 2.2 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Gordon P Sharp |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
12SL INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE LABORATORIES ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Mr Wei Sun, P.E. |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 9.11 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Dr Joseph M Zulovich |
Alternate |
Non-voting |
TC 2.2 ALTERNATE MEMBER |
Current Projects/ Goals
- Winter Meeting February 2020 Programs
- Ventilation Effectiveness Metrics, Part 1: Humans
- The History of the Use of Air Changes per Hour in HVAC Codes, Standards and Guidelines
- Seminar ideas for Annual Conference in Austin, TX
- Present RP-1833 results at Annual Conference in Austin, TX
Accomplishments
- 1st Phase of RP-1833 submitted to Project Review Committee
- Presentation at 2019 Annual Conference in Kansas City: Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis to Optimize Laboratory Airflow, Safety and Energy Efficiency, Kishor Khankari, AnSight LLC
- Presentation at 2019 Annual Conference in Kansas City: Use of Airflow to Mitigate Risk of Exposure to Hazardous Airborne Materials Generated in Labs, Thomas Smith, 3Flow
- Presentation of preliminary results from volunteer research effort: Thomas Smith, Cliff Cooper, Kishor Khankari
Meeting Times
- MTG.ACR meets before and after ASHRAE conferences
Agendas
Meeting Agenda 2016-11-22
Meeting Agenda 2017-03-20
Meeting Agenda 2017-08-23
Meeting Agenda 2018-01-04
Meeting Agenda 2018-04-16
Meeting Agenda 2019-02-21
Meeting Agenda 2019-05-23
Meeting Agenda 2019-09-05
Meeting Agenda 2020-01-20
Meeting Agenda 2020-07-10
Meeting Agenda 2020-10-30
Minutes
Meeting Minutes 2016-11-22
Meeting Minutes 2017-03-20
Meeting Minutes 2017-06-19
Meeting Minutes 2017-08-23
Meeting Minutes 2018-01-04
Meeting Minutes 2018-04-16
Meeting Minutes 2018-09-06
Meeting Minutes 2019-02-21
Meeting Minutes 2019-05-23
Meeting Minutes 2020-01-20
Meeting Minutes 2020-07-10