Features Item : Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Design: What You Need To Know Sayfa 1 / 4

Sunday, Feb 09

Want to use this article? Click here for options!

Search ES
Posted on: 01/29/2003

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Design: What You Need To Know

Search Archives
Subscribe Now! John Clark, P.E.
Current Features
Current News
In the last two years, the major changes to commercial kitchen exhaust system
Columns designs are the result of the 2000 International Mechanical Code (IMC), the 2001
NEW! Ad Index revised National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) 96, Underwriters Laboratories
Case In Point (UL) 710 Hood Listings, local pollution regulations, current duct cleaning methods,
New Products improved filtration devices, and the introduction of variable-volume control systems.
HVAC Designer Tips
What Is ES? This article addresses the interrelationships of these system design changes. The
areas addressed are hood exhaust requirements; filter devices; replacement air
Free Product Info systems; variable airflow systems; duct cleaning; access, pitch and drain; stack
Calendar of Events outlets; and the effect on the external environment.
Classifieds
Media Kit Hood Exhaust Requirements
Netlinks Commercial kitchen hoods capture and contain heat, moisture, smoke, and
Bulletin Board vaporized grease. Type I hoods are installed over appliances that produce grease
Staff Profiles vapors and/or smoke, while Type II hoods are installed over heat- or moisture-
Contact Us producing appliances. This article will focus on the Type I hoods.
Back to Basics
AEE Books Sections 506 and 507 of the 2000 IMC address commercial kitchen hoods, grease
ducts, and exhaust equipment. Hood exhaust capacity can be calculated using the
AEE Seminars formulas in Section 507.13.1, which are based on the number of exposed sides of a
List Rentals kitchen hood and the cooking temperature. However, a UL 710-listed hood is
Reprints recommended because this method reduces the cfm requirement and the
HVAC Challenge accompanying replacement air required:
Home
IMC formula method
Hood type - Three-side open canopy
Q = 75A; A = horizontal surface area of hood, sq ft (Note: 75 = 75 cfm/sq ft)
Q = 75 x 3.5 ft x 10 ft = 2,625 cfm
Assumed: UL 710-listed unit at 250 cfm/linear ft x 10 ft = 2,500 cfm

The United States has a procedure that tests hoods for capture and containment.
The test variables are based on temperature and the required cfm per linear foot of
hood to capture the effluent; the test is in accordance with UL 710 standards. The
listing is published both on a hood label and a listing card that describes the cfm
and coating surface temperature relationship (Figure 1).

Aluminum mesh filters are no longer allowed in Type I hoods. As

system designers, we should be aware that as filter types
change, the fan static pressure requirement increases.
ASHRAE's Chapter 30 has a table that shows the typical static
pressure relationship between filter types and airflow.
Filter Devices

http://www.esmagazine.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2503,91... 10/02/2003
Features Item : Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Design: What You Need To Know Sayfa 2 / 4

The main purpose of the filter in a hood is to prevent flames from entering the
exhaust duct. Also, the quantity of exhaust air also keeps a filter's surface
temperature near 200 degrees F. The filter aspect of the device is to facilitate
condensing of the moisture and grease vapors so it can be captured by centrifugal
separation as the material passes through baffles, turns, cooling surfaces, etc.

Aluminum mesh filters are no longer allowed in Type I hoods. The simplest filter is a
baffle configuration, though a greater surface area is possible with a high-velocity
cartridge filter. Water mist-type hoods also cool and condense grease and moisture
vapors at the filter area.

The grease filter industry is currently developing new types of baffle filters with
larger surface areas that will condense vapors and moisture at the filter rather than
at a cooler location in the duct.

As system designers, we should be aware that as filter types change from baffle to
cartridge to an extended area, the fan static pressure requirement increases.
Chapter 30 in the 1999 ASHRAE Handbook - HVAC Applications has a table that
shows the typical static pressure relationship between filter types and airflow.

Replacements Air Systems

To control unwanted cooking odors in the dining area, approximately 10% of the
replacement air in a commercial kitchen ventilation system should come from areas
adjacent to the kitchen.

Replacement air is provided by a system that brings the air into the structure near
the exhaust area. It should be filtered, heated to a minimum of 50 dgrees in cold
climates, distributed to avoid drafts at the hood, and, in some cases, air conditioned
or cooled. The short-circuit hood was developed to try to introduce the code formula
required air directly into the hood canopy to avoid expensive conditioning. However,
the use of the short circuit is fading with the use of UL 710 lower cfm listings.

Consider avoiding the creation of drafts at the hood which disturb the capture and
containment of a thermal rising plume. Also, avoid a drafty four-way diffuser near
the hood; hood suppliers have front-face grilles and perforated faceplates to supply
air.

Today, air conditioned kitchens are becoming more and more popular to attract and
keep a cooking staff. However, with the advent of kitchen air conditioning, hood
suppliers have found that front-face distribution methods do not provide cook line
comfort; therefore, they are providing low-velocity mass down flow diffusion units
and adjustable-flow units. Rear supply plenums also can be used for untempered
air in mild climates (Figure 2).

Variable Airflow Systems

As many commercial kitchen owners know, exhaust air and replacement air
represent a flow of costs up the stack. These equipment and energy costs were the
driving force behind the variable airflow systems study which asked: When there is
no smoke, reduced heat, or reduced moisture, could the airflow system flow be
reduced?

ASHRAE sponsored a research project at the University of Minnesota that resulted

in NFPA 96 reducing the minimum exhaust velocity in a Type 1 grease duct from
1,500 fpm to 500 fpm. This change has opened the door for systems that reduce
airflow. Reduced airflow is controlled by optical smoke and temperature sensors in
the hood area and is also used for remodeling projects that have an existing Type I
grease duct installed and previously designed with a higher cfm:

Old stack: 4,000 cfm at 2,000 fpm, 18-in. by 18-in.

New UL 710-listed hood: 1,350 cfm in 18-in. by 18-in.
Existing stack at 650 fpm

http://www.esmagazine.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2503,91... 10/02/2003
Features Item : Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Design: What You Need To Know Sayfa 3 / 4

Efficient system design dictates that duct sizing velocity should be sized near the
2,000-fpm value. Hood collars are generally sized by the manufacturer at 1,800
fpm.

Duct Cleaning
Most duct cleaning is done by power washing the duct and hood interior. Since
water is used, liquid-tight ductwork is important. Type I ductwork is black steel
welded seam construction. Job site history has shown that "welded" duct is not
liquid tight the first time. If the duct leaks and is wrapped and/or enclosed in a
gypsum enclosure, mold will form within the wrap enclosure assembly. Obviously,
mold is bad, therefore, it is important to pressure test to demonstrate liquid
tightness. To ensure liquid tightness, pressure test the duct to 0.10 inches of water.

Access, Pitch, and Drain

There are several elements to consider for a kitchen's duct cleaning access, pitch,
and drain. First, provide access at the roof outlets; hinged fans at the curb work
well. It is important to secure additional support for aluminum fan assemblies
because the tipping will stress the fan inlet/base connection. Commercial
preinsulated round stacks are a good choice for multistory buildings. The
preinsulated duct is similar to one-stop shopping for the liner, the insulation, the
leak-tight cement, and the access.

Next, code-required access panels in horizontal and vertical ducts are required to
allow for cleaning material that power washing will not remove. Consider enclosing
the access door insulating wrap in a double-wall enclosure to prevent damage
every time the access is used.

Third, include a low-point drain access for water used in power washing. However,
pitch the horizontal duct run to the hood collar. NFPA 96 requires that horizontal
duct supports must support the weight of the duct plus 800 pounds. The 800
pounds extra is for duct cleaning equipment and water.

Finally, on a tall stack project, consider providing a dry, three-quarter-inch water

riser from the bottom to the roof for water access; also provide ball valves where
needed for riser cleaning. And, run this water line parallel to the duct sprinkler riser.
Provide valved drain access at the duct low points so that the grease/water mixture
can be hosed to a suitable drain location.

Stack Outlet
Most upblast aluminum power roof ventilations discharge at about 1,000 fpm, or 11
mph. A cross wind could carry the effluent horizontal for a long distance, which
often equates into recirculation of exhaust effluent into intake louvers at the same
level. A solution is the high-velocity upblast stack used in laboratory design (Figure
3).

Effects on the External Environment

Many communities and neighbors are concerned about kitchen stack smoke and
odors. Local pollution laws are often written so if a neighbor complains about
smoke and odors, the polluter must either fix it or stop altogether. To stop pollution
concerns before they start, the industry provides several control devices including
electrostatic, water mist, pleated media, activated carbon, oxidizing bed, and
ultraviolet. However, each of these units is costly and requires expensive, ongoing
maintenance.

A simple solution to pollution is dilution. To do this, bleed outdoor air into the roof
fan installation at 1:5 ratio (e.g. 5,000 cfm hood) and add 1,000 cfm of outdoor roof
level air and size for 6,000 cfm. For smoke concerns, another solution is simply to
reduce the fat in the cooking product.

Another point to remember is that replacement air cools the filters and causes

http://www.esmagazine.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2503,91... 10/02/2003
Features Item : Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Design: What You Need To Know Sayfa 4 / 4

moisture and vapor to condense at the filter face rather than in the stack or on the
roof. Any time excess grease gets on the fan or on the roof, the cause is often low
cfm.

Replacement air cools the filters and causes moisture and vapor
to condense at the filter face rather than in the stack or on the
roof. Any time excess grease gets on the fan or on the roof, the
cause is often low cfm.
Conclusions
The IMC is new and recognizes the variable exhaust flow requirements relative to
cooking temperatures. NFPA 96 (2001) is a current standard written in code
language. The UL 710 listing is allowed by the IMC and does reduce airflow
requirements. Duct cleaning is mainly by power washing and liquid tightness in a
design mold avoidance concern in wrapped and enclosed ducts. Pollution and odor
recirculation concerns can be economically resolved by high-velocity stack outlets
and dilution design.ES

EDITOR'S NOTE: Some images associated with this article do not transfer to the
Internet. To review the figures, please refer to the print version of this issue.

About HGA A nationally recognized, award-winning firm, HGA has built a

reputation for quality design and a team approach to projects, utilizing a
multidisciplinary approach encompassing architectural, engineering, and planning
solutions. HGA is organized into three core practice areas: Healthcare, Corporate
and Arts, and Community and Education. For more information, visit the company's
website at www.hga.com.

Clark is a senior mechanical engineer with Hammel, Green & Abrahamson, Inc.
(HGA). He has over 40 years of experience providing mechanical engineering
design services for a wide variety of projects and is an ASHRAE Fellow. He
has served on numerous national committees, and authored many articles and
papers related to plumbing, fire protection, and HVAC system design. He
emphasizes practical, maintainable, cost- effective designs for all aspects of
his projects. A teacher at heart, he assists in staff development and also is the
department resource for plumbing design issues. Contact him at John Clark,
P.E..

1 Copyright © 2003 by Business News Publishing Co.

http://www.esmagazine.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,2503,91... 10/02/2003