Turbulence-free laboratory safety enclosure
AssigneeFlow Sciences, Inc.
InventorsRaymond F. Ryan, Alexy Y. Kolesnikov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to controlled airflow and air distribution within a laboratory safety enclosure and in particular, to turbulence-free airflow within a laboratory fume hood. The fume hood of the present invention has a work chamber and an access opening having an upper edge. A horizontal air deflector structure is positioned adjacent to the upper edge of the access opening to divert a portion of air entering the access opening upwardly within the chamber, whereby the diverted air eliminates an airflow eddy current.
Claims8
A method of designing a turbulence-free laboratory safety enclosure to eliminate eddy currents, said safety enclosure including a work chamber having an access opening with an upper edge and at least one air deflector positioned along and spaced below the upper edge of the access opening, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) defining a computational model that numerically represents the structure of said laboratory safety enclosure including a computational model that numerically represents the structure of said air deflector used to reduce eddy currents within said laboratory safety enclosure while the enclosure interior is at a negative air pressure relative to external air pressure, thereby urging external air to flow into the enclosure interior, said computational models being inputs into computational resources usable to solve a set of computational fluid dynamics equations;
- b) solving said set of computational fluid dynamics equations to determine an approximation of fluid dynamics within said laboratory safety enclosure;
- c) displaying a representation of said approximation of fluid dynamics within said laboratory safety enclosure;
- and
- d) adjusting said computational model that numerically represents the structure of said air deflector to further reduce turbulence represented by the display of said fluid dynamics approximation.
A method of designing a turbulence-free laboratory safety enclosure to eliminate eddy currents, said safety enclosure including a work chamber having an access opening with an upper edge and at least one air deflector positioned along and spaced below the upper edge of the access opening, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) defining a computational model that numerically represents the structure of said laboratory safety enclosure including a computational model that numerically represents the structure of said air deflector used to reduce eddy currents within said laboratory safety enclosure while the enclosure interior is at a negative air pressure relative to external air pressure, thereby urging external air to flow into the enclosure interior, said computational models being inputs into computational resources usable to solve a set of computational fluid dynamics equations;
- b) solving said set of computational fluid dynamics equations to determine an approximation of fluid dynamics within said laboratory safety enclosure;
- c) displaying a representation of said approximation of fluid dynamics within said laboratory safety enclosure;
- d) adjusting said computational model that numerically represents the structure of said air deflector to further reduce turbulence represented by the display of said fluid dynamics approximation;
- and
- e) repeating steps b) through d) until a desired reduction in eddy currents is displayed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.