Gas cabinets and exhausted enclosures are found in many of our client’s facilities, primarily in semiconductor fabrication and research laboratories. The appropriate amount of airflow is not always obvious to the designer. This blog is the second in a series of three that will focus on code requirements and ventilation rates for gas cabinets and exhausted enclosures associated with compressed gases and their distribution.
Part 1: Ventilation of Gas Cabinets and Exhausted Enclosures – Part 1 Overview
Part 2: Ventilation of Gas Cabinets and Exhausted Enclosures – Part 2 Gas Cabinets
The International Code Council (ICC) and the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) harmoniously define a cabinet harmoniously:
International Fire Code definition: A fully enclosed, ventilated, noncombustible enclosure used to provide an isolated environment for compressed gas cylinders in storage or use. Doors and access ports for exchanging cylinders and accessing pressure-regulating controls are allowed to be included.
National Fire Code 3.3.136: Gas Cabinet. A fully enclosed, noncombustible enclosure used to provide an isolated environment for compressed gas cylinders in storage or use. [55, 2013]
Chapter 50 of the International Fire Code and chapter 63 of the National Fire Code define the reequipments for gas cabinets, including ventilation. They are generally identical with minor (but nontrivial) differences. Designers should carefully review the relevant chapter of the statutory code before commencing design.
The last blog in this series will cover ventilation for exhausted enclosures in a similar fashion, and advice for designers working on gas cabinet and exhausted enclosure installation.
About the Author
Bill has been a mechanical engineer since 1995 and with Hallam-ICS since 2010. His career has brought him to the top of the Transamerica Pyramid Center, chemical plants, underground mines, paper mills, and semiconductor fabrication facilities. He has experience designing, specifying and installing mechanical and electrical systems in the built environment covering industrial, institutional and commercial facilities.
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About Hallam-ICS
Hallam-ICS is an engineering and automation company that designs MEP systems for facilities and plants, engineers control and automation solutions, and ensures safety and regulatory compliance through arc flash studies, commissioning, and validation. Our offices are located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Vermont and North Carolina and our projects take us world-wide.