Clean Workspace Enclosure With Horizontal Laminar Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pollutant controlled systems with downward laminar air flow are ineffective when workspace contains horizontal elements, leading to poor air circulation and particulate accumulation, and are compromised when the enclosure is opened, allowing contaminated air to enter.
Innovation Solution
A system with a horizontal laminar air flow circulation design, utilizing a modular enclosure with air permeable and impermeable panels to maintain a clean workspace, including an air circulation subsystem and control subsystem to regulate air flow, ensuring effective air circulation and containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If downward laminar air flow is used in pollutant controlled systems, then clean air can be maintained in the workspace, but air circulation becomes poor and particulates accumulate when horizontal elements are present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional downward laminar flow direction to horizontal laminar flow. The air circulation subsystem delivers treated air through diffusers positioned at one end of the workspace, creating horizontal flow that moves across the workspace and exits at the opposite end. This inversion resolves the circulation problem caused by horizontal elements while maintaining clean air quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from vertical (downward) air flow to horizontal air flow, changing the dimension of flow direction. This dimensional change allows air to move parallel to horizontal elements rather than against them, eliminating the circulation blockage and particulate accumulation issues while preserving the clean workspace environment.
2Ease of operation
If the enclosure is opened for access, then workspace accessibility is improved, but contaminated air enters the workspace
Solution Approach 1:
The air circulation subsystem operates continuously to maintain positive pressure and horizontal laminar flow within the enclosure. This continuous operation ensures that when access panels are opened, the prevailing horizontal airflow and pressure differential actively resist contaminated air infiltration, allowing frequent access without compromising air quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The control subsystem continuously monitors air quality parameters and adjusts the air circulation subsystem operation accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the system maintains appropriate pressure differentials and flow rates to prevent contaminated air entry during access operations, dynamically responding to enclosure state changes.
3Volume of stationary object
If larger workspace volume is created, then more processing capacity is available, but the cost to treat and cycle clean air increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the air treatment function from a centralized overhead system to a distributed horizontal flow system. By positioning diffusers at the workspace periphery and creating horizontal flow, the system treats only the necessary air volume that actually circulates through the workspace, reducing the total air treatment requirement compared to conventional downward flow systems that must treat the entire enclosure volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic principles to create efficient horizontal laminar flow through strategically positioned diffusers. This approach leverages fluid dynamics to achieve uniform air distribution across the workspace with lower energy consumption, utilizing pressure differentials and flow characteristics to maximize cleaning efficiency while minimizing the volume of air requiring treatment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system maintains a clean workspace with reduced particulate counts, even with horizontal elements, and allows access without compromising air quality, achieving class 10,000 cleanroom standards and potentially class 100 standards with optimized settings.
Implementation Method 1
the treated air passes through the one or more interior panels and travels through the interior cavity as a horizontal laminar flow
Data Source
AI summary
A system for maintaining a pollutant controlled workspace includes an airtight enclosure with a front access window. A set of impermeable exterior panels and a set of permeable interior panels are slidably mounted within the access window in a spaced apart relationship. Regulated either through a manual control panel or programmable controller, a fan filter unit treats a supply of source air and delivers the filtered air down into a narrow vertical airflow channel located between the exterior and interior panels. Once a suitable amount of pressure accumulates, the treated air penetrates into the workspace as a horizontal laminar flow. Any particulates present in the workspace are drawn rearward by the laminar flow and are trapped behind a multi-apertured back board. The contaminant air is then drawn from a low pressure return located behind the back board and into the fan filter unit for recirculation within the enclosure.