Evolution of Kitchen Ventilation System Tracer Gas Studies

By admin on November 18th, 2007

Evolution of Kitchen Ventilation System

Tracer Gas Studies
Halton pioneered the research on kitchen exhaust
system efficiency in the late 1980 s, commissioning a
study by the University of Helsinki. At the time there
were no efficiency test standards in place. The goal
was to establish a test protocol that was repeatable
and usable over a wide range of air flows and hood
designs.
Nitrous Oxide (tracer gas), a neutrally buoyant gas,
was used. A known quantity of gas was released from
the heated cooking surface and compared to the
concentration measured in the exhaust duct. The
difference in concentration was the efficiency at a
given air flow. This provided valuable information about
the potential for a variety of capture and containment
strategies. The Capture Jet system was tested using
the Tracer Gas technique and the results showed a
significant improvement in capture and containment of
the convective plume at lower exhaust air flows
compared to conventional exhaust only hoods.