[labnetwork] HEPA Filters

[Hughes, John S]

Hello Philippe,

We too had our HEPA filters well beyond their expected life with no discernible loss in air quality. However, we saw that it became harder and harder for the air handlers to push the air through the filters, and the positive pressure differential in the cleanrooms relative to the surrounding corridor became less and less. I.e., the filters were still working but they were definitely getting more and more clogged up. Eventually (after 18 years) we had no choice but to replace them. It was obviously very disruptive to ongoing operations, but it couldn't be put off any longer.

Since we had to shut down for a period anyway, we took the opportunity to add VFDs to the fan motors in the air handlers, which resulted in very significant energy cost reductions.

 -- John

-------------------------------------------------------------
John S. Hughes                         Office: (217) 333-4674
Associate Director                        FAX: (217) 244-6375
Laboratory Operations                     hughes at illinois.edu<mailto:hughes at illinois.edu>
Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
3114 Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory
208 North Wright Street
Urbana, Illinois  61801              http://mntl.illinois.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------

On Sep 25, 2012, at 3:22 AM, Flückiger Philippe <philippe.fluckiger at epfl.ch<mailto:philippe.fluckiger at epfl.ch>>
 wrote:

Dear Denis,

Let me mention that EPFL is running with the original HEPA filters since 14 years (1998) and still reach the class 100 specifications.
EPFL has no plan to change the HEPA filters. Only some pre-filters might be occasionally changed for example after construction work in the area.

Anyway, back to your question facilities would pay for this.

With my very best regards,
Philippe

Dr Philippe Flückiger
Director of Operations
http://cmi.epfl.ch/
Phone +41 21 693 6695

De : labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> [mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:bounces at mtl.mit.edu>] De la part de Dennis Grimard
Envoyé : vendredi 21 septembre 2012 00:17
À : labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
Objet : [labnetwork] HEPA Filters

All:

Do any of you have to pay for the replacement of your HEPA filters in your cleanrooms?

Thanks ...

--
Dennis S Grimard, Ph.D
Managing Director, Lurie Nanofabrication Facility

University of Michigan
1246D EECS Building
1301 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2122
(734) 368-7172 (Cell)
(734) 647-1781 (Fax)
http://www.lnf.umich.edu

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