SD-95-01-2 -- Application and Enhancement of the Standard Test Method for the Performance of Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Systems ✓ Most Recent

Reports on the interlab application of the proposed Standard Test Method for the Performance of Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Systems (ASTM 1995) and resulting refinements to the test method. The purpose of the standard test method is to provide the industry with a uniform protocol to evaluate the capture and containment of cooking effluent as well as measure the radiant heat gain to space from the cooking process. The test method includes an overall energy balance as well as visual inspection methods for determining the capture and containment of exhaust air and cooking effluent. The areas of refinement discussed are determination of boundary conditions for energy balance, accuracy of temperature measurement, appliance calibration, and measurement of appliance energy consumption. Investigation of these refinements required consideration of thermocouple tree placement with respect to hood/appliance air flow patterns, treatment of the laboratory space as a calorimeter room, and temperature stratification and mixing of the air in the laboratory room and accurate measurement of appliance energy use. The validation study demonstrated that the energy balance protocol may be applied to a hood/appliance system operating over a range of exhaust air flow rates with an appliance being used in an idle (i.e., ready-to-cook) or cooking mode. The interlab initiative also demonstrated for the equipment combinations tested that repeatable results can be obtained between two research facilities when rigorous attention is focused on the test method specifications for both the physical setup and operation of the hood/appliance system, test instrumentation, and associated laboratory procedures.

KEYWORDS: year 1995, testing, commercial, kitchens, ventilation, mechanical ventilation, performance, standards, measuring, heat gain, exhaust air, energy consumption, exhaust hoods, air flow, air flow rate, temperature stratification, accuracy, cooking equipment, laboratory testing