Camfil Farr, the leading manufacturer of air filters and clean air solutions, has developed new Clean Room Design & Energy Optimisation software. The company has produced a manual giving the theory behind the calculations and updated standards information for the pharmaceutical, life sciences and microelectronic industries.
Cleanrooms today are high technology solutions with high or very high demands on the air cleanliness level. Not only particulate matter but also airborne molecular contaminants (AMC) are addressed in more and more applications. Therefore it is important to estimate the level of air cleanliness in the cases of new production of, or reconstruction of a cleanroom.
The air cleanliness level in a cleanroom is dependent on the quality of the supply air, contamination sources and the design of the ventilation system. Because of this it is difficult to estimate the final cleanliness class, but it can be done either by using mathematical algorithms or by experimental mock-up studies.
The most cost-effective and fastest approach is to use computer aided analysis. Today fluid dynamic calculations (CFD) are used to determine airflow patterns, and in certain respects also to analyse the contamination spread; however, this is time-consuming to do.
A faster and more efficient method is to use mathematical algorithms describing the relationship between the cleanliness and the most important variables in a general model of a system.
Camfil Farr has developed several software applications to help the constructor/engineer to compare different solutions and evaluate the impact on the cleanroom class depending on what components and room design is used. It is easy to estimate the result of outdoor environments, room activity, different particle sizes and contamination sources. Specific software has been developed for AMC related applications and is available from Camfil Farr AC specialists.
At the heart of the cleanroom are the filters, which can be selected in different qualities and placed in different locations in the cleanroom. This software application can help the designer of a cleanroom to estimate the cleanliness class in cleanrooms or in other spaces, such as offices, using different types of air filters.
Depending on the number of people, the activity in the room, the ventilation system and the filter selection, the cleanroom class is calculated. This is a very quick and accurate tool for the cleanroom designer to make the first estimate on what filter selection is needed. Comparisons of up to three different solutions can be obtained with just a few inputs.