Reducing the Energy Consumption of the Air Conditioning System in Clean Rooms Using the Idle Mode

Abstract Cleanrooms, essential in various industries, demand strictly controlled environmental conditions, which significantly impact building energy consumption. High-efficiency air handling systems are crucial in these environments to ensure a continuous supply of clean air and removal of contaminants. However, the substantial energy requirements of these systems pose a significant challenge to sustainable operations. This study focuses on an innovative approach to reduce the energy consumption of air handling systems in cleanrooms through the optimization of laminar airflow. Laminar flow, renowned for its high particle capture efficiency, is commonly employed in cleanrooms. Nevertheless, its operation is energy-intensive. It was proposed a novel concept involving the segmentation of the laminar flow field and the variable adjustment of airflow velocity within individual segments. This approach enables more flexible adaptation of airflow to specific operational requirements while reducing the overall volume of air that needs to be filtered and conditioned. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system can significantly reduce the energy consumption of the air handling system without compromising cleanliness. Compared to conventional systems, energy consumption was reduced by up to 60% in winter and 56% in summer, while simultaneously improving air quality in the critical area above the operating table.