PIEM PowerPack in fume hood exhaust

The project ´PowerPack in fume hood exhausts’ is funded by Elforsk and has the project no. 349-056. The project partner Biotech Innovation has developed a new technology – a so-called Power Pack (PP) which has many applications. One of them is to reduce the accumulation of grease in fume hood exhaust systems. There is a great interest in finding efficient technologies that can solve the problem of grease in ventilation systems in industrial kitchens, among other reasons due to the high costs associated with mechanical removal of grease to minimize fire risk. The project has shown that after the installation of the PP it has not been necessary to carry out the regular cleaning of the ducting system, but only to change filters and clean the bottom tray superficially in the air handling unit. Therefore, the costs for cleaning have been saved. It has not been possible to document the energy saving potential. A PP can be described as a catalyst which, without the use of electricity or mechanical parts, influences substances – in this case the degradation of grease in connection with water vapor. How the PP works is not fully understood, but an important parameter is that it operates without the supply of energy. In this project, it has not been documented how the PP works. Only the effects of using a PP have been studied. However, the author of the present report has presented a hypothesis for the working principle – among other reasons to identify the focus areas for the future work.

The following activities have been carried out in the project:

1. Measurement of particles: Initially, the amount and the composition of the particle size in the kitchen and in the exhaust were measured in order to assess the possibility of categorizing the effect of the PP on these parameters. However, it soon became clear that it is difficult to determine a reference for the measurements. It is expected that the amount and the size of the extracted particles will be affected by the PP and that this should be investigated separately in controlled laboratory conditions.

2. Visual inspection and technical ventilation measurements: The plant has been inspected regularly, and the pressure drops and airflows have 5 been measured. Due to variations in the operating parameters, the measurements are not sufficiently accurate to estimate savings in the energy consumption.

3. Analysis of the deposits of grease: Analysis indicate that the PP contributes to a catalytic decomposition of the grease particles from the kitchen, and that it is more difficult to break down heavier components which, in some cases, leave a residue in the form of a whitish powder.

4. Electromagnetic measurements: A screening of the electromagnetic properties has not made it possible to determine which functional elements are involved in the function of the PP.

Manufacturers of equipment have begun to integrate the PP technology into their products. However, the project has shown that there is a need for a better understanding of the technology. This would enable the technology to be targeted, designed and dimensioned for different applications. So far, largely there has been an empirical approach that can be significantly strengthened, e.g. by developing measuring methods to determine the effect of the PP. Therefore, there is an important work to be done to map, describe and quantify the various effects of the technology.