Large Warehouse Ventilation

[LUMechE]

Hiya Folks,

I hope everybody is enjoying their last few weeks before the hot summer. It's a coincidence that I mention the hot summer, not really, because I've been assigned the task of determining the best method to ventilate one of our warehouses. During the summer, we experience heat indexes up to 110 F inside the warehouse when it's 91 F outside.


I calculated the total volume of the warehouse to be roughly 1,250,000 cubic feet. My first question is: What is the recommended ACH for a warehouse this bi? It stores chemical additives and one forklift operating inside. I've had a vendor come out and give a quote last year. In the quote, it was stated that they used a ACH value of 12. That would require around 250,000 CFM capacity. I found some fans that can achieve them, 11 to be exact, but I am curious on if this is absolutely necessary.

If the recommended ACH is lower than 12, then I could use less fans and reduce costs. But by using, for example a ACH value of 6, and using less fans, how much of a difference in delta T would I experience going from an ACH value of 12? What if I used a ACH value of 15? Would I see much difference in my Delta T?

Can someone please explain this to me or lead me to a source that would?

Thank you so much,

Tommy

 

[LUMechE]

I'm sorry, but please let me add: Are there equations I can use to determine what temperatures I might expect to see depending on outside air temperature and air flow rate?

Thanks again

 

[EnergyProfessional]

hire an engineer. He or she will look up codes and standards to determine ventilation requirements and can calculate the required flowrate and also can tell you what temperatures you can expect.
You can read here or on Google

 

[MintJulep]

A warehouse full of chemicals likely needs some ventilation rate dependent on what chemicals and how they are stored.

Possibly some alarms in the event of a spill too.

You appear to need far more help than is reasonable to expect from a free web forum.

 

[chicopee]

This is a job for an industrial hygienist (IH) and not that of an engineer. An IH will calculate ventilation requirements for chemical storage areas based on acceptable chemical concentrations within the work space. If chemical concentration is not exceeded, you may want to discuss ventilation requirements to maintain an atmosphere below the odor threshold of chemicals. Heat stress determination is also the IH's responsibility and therefore there may be a reduced amount of work time to those exposed to high heat and relative humidity. Where would you get the services of an IH, I would first discuss the situation with your insurance carrier of the worker's compensation coverage, otherwise, consult the Yellow Pages.

 

[BronYrAur]

The chemical issue aside, you will never get a comfortable temperature in a warehouse simply by ventilating it. If it is 91 deg outside, you are pulling 91 deg air (and its humidity) into the building and then presumably exhausting it back out. When you say that you have found fans to achieve 11 ACH, what are you talking about? Exhaust fans? If so, how will the air get in the building? If they are supply fans, how will the air get out?

 

[ProcessHVAC]

Hire an engineer

 

[willard3]

Hire an Engineer and read forum policies, which begin as follows:

>>>>>>>>>>>>These fora should not be used to bypass your own in-depth research on the issues that affect you, nor is it intended to be a substitute for appropriate professional assistance within your field or geographical region.