OP Vent - Energy efficient ventilation in operating rooms

The project aims to develop and demonstrate a new energy efficient ventilation principle related to energy consumption and occurrence of colony formed units on operating rooms and in operating fields as a goal for the purity of the room air.

OP Vent aims to compare the energy consumption and number of airborne bacteria and particles under laminar airflow (LAF) vs turbulent airflow (TAF) with 100% or 50% reduced fresh air exchange in operation theatres.
Project description

The project aims to develop and demonstrate a new energy efficient ventilation principle related to energy consumption and occurrence of colony formed units on operating rooms and in operating fields as a goal for the purity of the room air. Specifictly the project will develop new ventilation devices, components for efficiency control and control strategies for ventilation systems which differentiate related to operating type, operating patterns in the room and the organising of the staff.

Results

OP Vent aims to compare the energy consumption and number of airborne bacteria and particles under laminar airflow (LAF) vs turbulent airflow (TAF) with 100% or 50% reduced fresh air exchange in operation theatres.

We conducted 32 simulated operations under 4 conditions: LAF or TAF with either full (n=8+8) or 50% reduced (n=8+8) air exchange. Microbial air concentration (mean CFU/m3 ±SD) with LAF under full and 50% reduced air exchange were 0.4±0.8 and 0.4±0.4 respectively, whereas air contamination under TAF conditions had significantly higher values of 7.6±2.0 and 10.3±8.1, respectively (p5 μm) airborne particulate (mean no./m3 ±SD) with LAF under full and 50% reduced air exchange were 1.581±2.841 and 1.018±1.084 respectively, whereas particulate under TAF conditions were 7.923±5.151 and 6.157±2.439 (p>0.05).

The study shows that TAF (50%) is more energy efficient than LAF (100 %). Moreover, microbial air contamination was significantly lower under LAF ventilation compared to TAF during simulated THA under both full and 50% reduced air exchange.

Key figures

Period:
2013 - 2015
Funding year:
2013
Own financial contribution:
1.21 mio. DKK
Grant:
1.20 mio. DKK
Funding rate:
50 %
Project budget:
2.41 mio. DKK

Category

Oprindelig title
OP Vent - Energieffektiv ventilation på operationsstuer
Programme
ELFORSK
Technology
Energy efficiency
Case no.
ELFORSK 345-019

Participants

Lean Energy Cluster (Main Responsible)
Partners and economy
Partner Subsidy Auto financing
Lean Energy Cluster
Region Syddanmark
FOURNAIS ENERGI ApS
JRV A/S
Region Syddanmark

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