Need some info (Code Requirements etc.) on providing ventilation for an elevator shaft and machine room.
Tried to search previosu threads ....but it is down.
Try with ASME A17.1 "Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators", Section 2.7 of this code "Machine Rooms and Machinery Spaces".
There is a previus trhead about this point, months ago I asked exactly the same. Modern elevators uses microprocessors controls, the temperature inside the machine room should be between 13°C and 30°C, you have to take control of humidity too. Maybe ventilation would´nt be enough.
You can check UBC for all requirements regarding elevator shaft and elevator machine room. If the elevator be designed to operate for (3) floors or more, a hoistway shall be required. Size of the opening of the hoistway should be checked with the UBC. Elevator machine room will only need ventilation to comply with the code requirement (something similar to energy mandatory T-24 in California which requires .15 cfm/sq-ft). The best way to accomodate ventilation for the machine room is to transfer air from adjacent conditioned space. Good luck.
On their submittal data sheets, elevator manufacturers list the CFM requirements of Machine Room exhaust fans, based on the HP of the elevator motor. To get air INTO the Machine Room, you will need a transfer air opening with a fire damper. To exhaust the air OUT of the Machine Room, you will need to run the fan discharge duct through the wall, with a fire damper. Instead of exhaust fan you could use a ductless split cooling system, but that is much more expensive.
One mechanical engineer I worked with would pull the toilet exhaust for a stack of high rise toilets through the elevator machine room, with appropriate fire and/or smoke dampers. I thought that the smell would offend the elevator workers but apparently its too diluted to matter. Seemed like a good energy saving method since the air in the toilets is already cool. Anyone else ever done this?