Flow measuring instruments are perfect for the continuous measurement of air exchange for safety, environmental or health reasons. If the ventilation fails there’s a warning or the process is being stopped. That’s why the measuring instruments are connected to the central process control.

Ventilation measures are not only relevant for building technology: the air exchange in manufacturing plants, storage rooms or fermenting cellars can be done through natural ventilation or technical ventilation with fans. The same goes for factory buildings where ovens are operated. Even air exchange in large computer centres requires monitoring ventilation. To reduce the risk of explosion in paint shops or dust explosions in silos, controlled air extraction is inevitable. Forced ventilation / aeration always has to be recorded. In safety relevant areas (Ex-areas) ventilation monitoring also has to be precisely documented like during manufacturing processes that also require exact production conditions to ensure the quality of the product.

In a large number of manufacturing plants, toxic or dangerous vapours or gases arise with the process. The production of the slurries for the electrode production of lithium batteries takes place, for example, under a controlled protective gas atmosphere to ensure product quality. Welding smoke also has to be extracted reliably. Vapours and gases that are a risk to health and the environment have to be extracted. Ventilation and extraction in those areas are monitored. Safety-relevant measurements are not only important when monitoring the ventilation of laboratories. In many areas of ventilation monitoring the highest level of reliability is mandatory. Höntzsch vortex sensors with SIL2 are perfect for monitoring air exchange.  

When charging cells in battery rooms it creates hydrogen. It’s gathered below the ceiling. In addition lead batteries emit sulfuric acid mist which settles on the floor. Hydrogen in combination with air can cause an explosive mixture. Sulfuric acid vapour is hazardous to health. That’s why the concentration of both gases must be minimized through adequate ventilation in the battery rooms. Höntzsch sensors are perfectly suited for this application.

In pumped storage power stations the water’s position energy is converted into kinetic energy. The generators used are installed underground in a cavern. You get access to the engine room through the tunnel. The engine room also has to be supplied with fresh air. The necessary flow rate is monitored through sensors.

In case of a fire the flow is turned around. The supply and exhaust air ducts have a correspondingly large cross-section which means that the measurement must take place outside the center, the point of the greatest flow velocity. The rough conditions underground put highest demands on the sensors. High demands such as monitoring air exchange in  tunnels in underground mining. Every now and then if the forced ventilation of tunnels is not or unreliably monitored, firedamp events with often terrible consequences for the miners happen. Our ex-certified sensors come into play here.

Traffic tunnels also require monitored air exchange.

The incoming and outgoing air data can also be used to regulate the ventilation monitoring. Depending on the technique and kind of production air exchange has to be monitored more or less. The accurately controlled ventilation optimizes energy consumption, lowers operating costs and at the same time serves to protect the climate.