Douglas Horton, MS, MBA, CFSP

This article describes the remodeling of a hospital kitchen in which workers experienced high temperature and humidity levels as well as turbulent airflows most of the year.

Dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) have been available for over 20 years, with the primary benefit being the ability to decouple outdoor air tempering from conditioned space thermal loads that can be handled by separate, secondary systems.

This article describes the remodeling of a hospital kitchen in which workers experienced high temperature and humidity levels, as well as turbulent airflows most of the year.

Before we get into the status of modern fire suppression and the special risks of solid-fuel cooking, let’s look at several real-world commercial kitchen events and the patterns that emerge.

Many methods await when it comes to reducing exhaust rates. Fortunately, engineers can avail themselves of multiple tactics, from the hood specification to proper commissioning and air balance.

The codes and standards aren’t what they used to be when it comes to ventilation requirements. It might also be time to reconsider real-life occupancies with regard to design demands. Is there room to tighten up and boost efficiencies while maintaining adequate airflows?