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    AWS Fumes Gases in the Welding Environment

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    AWS Fumes Gases in the Welding Environment

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    107 views219 pages

    AWS Fumes Gases in The Welding Environment

    Uploaded by

    Marcus Braga
    AWS Fumes Gases in the Welding Environment

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    AUS FGUEPT#L 79 MM 078425 0005392 2 mm Part |. Ventilation Studies Introduction ‘The research performed by Batelle-Columbus Lab- ‘oratories for this portion of the American Welding Society ‘rogram obtained ventilation design data for use in con- trolling welding plumes. The study was conducted over ‘8 6-month period that began in May, 1977, The plume ‘control study was monitored by a committee appointed by the AWS Research Committee. ° ‘About 250 tests were carried out in the course of this study. The results of the study show that various ventila- ion methods can be used effectively to reduce the welder's exposure to fumes and, conversely, that certain ventila- tion conditions can result in posures than those experienced with no ventilation ‘Operating conditions for various local exhaust devices are specified in terms of a welder exposure factor and @ oom contamination factor which make them easy to use. ‘The report is divided into three major subsections paralleling the three main areas of investigation: “Gen- eral Room Ventilation,” “Local Ventilation,” and “Local Exhaust Studies." Included in each subsection, ‘where appropriate, is a description of the test apparatus and procedures and a discussion of test results, These subsections are followed by a summary. The reférences are found following the appendixes at the end of this report compilation, ‘An example problem is included in the report to show hhow the study results can be used. The example outlines ‘one possible application of the results; it should be kept ‘in mind that the results have a wide scope of application toward designing devices that can be used t0 control welding fumes and gases, Familiarity with the various experiments conducted during this study and tho asso- ciated results will enable the reader to apply the results to a variety of welding problems in ordet to achieve cost-effective and environmentally acceptable control of | welding plumes. Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Scope Theoretical and experimental studies were combined to generate data on the effect of ventilation air currents oon fume concentrations in the welder’ breathing zone sand to define the effectivencss of exhaust devices in reducing environmental contamination. ‘One major series of experiments defined the fime concentration level in the breathing zone as a function of ventilation velocity and relative orientation of the ventilation source with respect to the welder using a large flow area source (4x 4 ft. [1.2 1.2m). A second major test series used a simolator gas instead ‘of the are welding fumes and gas. The simulator gas plumes were identical to the weld plumes in thermal and fluid mechanic characteristics and enabled the ex- periments to be conducted continuously over a long period of time under reproducible conditions. Two sub- sets of experiments were conducted to ensure that the pertinent thermal and fluid mechanic characteristics of the simulator plume were identical to those of the weld plume: tests to characterize the weld plumes for various welding processes, and (ests to establish the simulator ‘operating conditions required to duplicate the actual ‘welding plumes, ‘Theoretical analyses were conducted to define the ‘overall room concentration level of welding fumes and gases in terms of the ventilation and weld fume genera- tion rates, The results of these analyses combined with the results of the experimental studies provide the infor- mation needed to design effective systems for control of welding fumes and gases. Limitations ‘The design of fume control systems was not examined ducing this study, AUS FGUXPT#) 79 Mm 0784265 0005393 4 mm 8/FuMES aND Gases. Previous application of fume contro! methods to spe- cific welding processes has been fimited because sufti- cient data are not available. Most of the quantitative information in the literature is very general, having been ‘blained ata time when the need io conserve energy and to control the welder and plant environments was not s0 acute as itis today. However, in view of the large num- ber of recognizable welding processes and variations of them, it was not practical for this study to consider moze than a few representative combinations of factors which ‘may influence the ultimate design of ventilation equip- ment. A limited number of welding processes. was selected as being representative of the family of welding processes because of their common use and their wide range of furne generation rates. The selected processes included shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), and gas metal are welding (GMAW) operations. Commercally-available electrodes ‘wore used in this study at manufacturerspecified arc voltage and eurrent conditions. Program Ventilation provides a means for reducing to an ac ceptable level the hazardous and noxious fumes and ‘gases to which a welder may be exposed. Many tech- niques are available for controlling welding fumes and ‘gases, These range from systoms that employ natural convection to localized devices such as air-ventilated holmets. Examples of methods for controlling the ‘welder's exposure to ures and gases include: (1) General room ventilation (2) Overhead exhaust hoods @) Portable local exhaust devices (4) Down-draft tables (3) Cross-drat tab (© Extractors built nto the welding equipment (7) Air-ventilated helmets Fluid dynamics. were applied to the theory of the welding plume. The governing differential equation for ‘the contamination level in 2 closed room was integrated ‘to obtain an expression forthe room contamination level as a function of time. Steady-state fume concentration levels were calculated for rooms of all sizes. Transient concentration levels were calculated for times prior to achieving steady-state conditions. Experiments were performed to determine the effect of air currents on these theoretical fume concentrations in the welder's breathing zone (local ventilation), Ap- paratus was developed to measure the reduction in ‘operator exposure (0 contaminants, using two methods 10 measure the fume concentration level: weighing a filter and counting condensation nuclei. Sampling probes inside the welding helmet collected fumes at the level of the welder's mouth. Sampling efficiency of the probe was measured over a range of particle diameters. ‘An air current generator was devised. Data were then Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 obtained with no ventilation and with variations in air speed and direction, Local exhaust studies evaluated the effect of eolleetor configuration, collector location, and exhaust flow rate. Three types of experiments were conducted: (1) Welding fume characterizations (Q) Simulator characterization @) Inlet configuration studies Equipment, Materials, Procedure Experimental apparatus The experimental appartus used to measure the £o- duction in operator exposure to contaminants resulting from the use of led! ventilation included fume sampling equipment, an ar curentgenerlor and welding eauip- tment consisting of a power supply, are vollage and current instrumentation, and a weiling tble. The 4p- Daratus sas ect up in an area having a high cling and ho natural dra. Figure 1.1 is « schematic diagram of tho experimental stp viewed from above the appara Fume Sampling Equipment, Two methods were used to measure the fume concentration lve in tho weldors breathing. one: the filter weighing method, and the condensation nuclei cotmter method. The fume sampling system used i the fiter weighing smothod of analysis 8 shown schematically in Fig. 1.2 ‘The sampling tshnique was specified by the Amesican ‘Welding Sooty (AWS) as x slandatd procedure when using the Fier weighing method (Ref. 11). The sampling system consisted of sampling probes, filter and filler Holder, a eral flow orifice, a pressure gage, and a ‘cut pamp. Essential features ofthe presen sampling System are described below “Two sampling probes were installed inside the weld- ing hetmet, positioned at the level ofthe welde's month 1r2in, (38 mm on either side ofthe vertieal cotertne ofthe helmet, Two probes were used to obtain a Tess biased sample fom the welders breathing zone by halv- ing the sample flow rate, thus reducing interference effects caused by the welders brething.Figue 13 isa photograph of the helmet showing the sampling ports. These sampling probes were connected to the fir tolder mounted on the ouside of the helmet exing standard Y connector. In order to minimize any pss ble particulate losses through the sampling sytem tho inlet End of the probes Was sharply machined, and relatively large tubing (1/4 in. [6.4 mm diameter}) was used. The distance between the inlet ends of the probes and the filler hokler was sbout 4 i. (100 mm). Measurements Of the sampling efficiency ofthis system showed it be essentially 100 percent efficent when collecting particles below approximately 0.05 micron um) in diameter and 70 percent efficent with 2 um diameter particles “The fer holder used was a standard 25 ram in-line holder (Model 1109, Gelman Instemen). Millipore AUS FGUsPTx) 79 MM 078425 0005394 6 mm Part Ventilation Studles|9 [Wang power sip "Air Weng ww) LI Recording esuipment Fig. 1.1--Schematic of experimental setup Weng helmet 7 Pressure sige Sampling rebar ao ‘ondenstion | rust Strip char ej" Fig. 1.2~Schematic of fume sampling system used in the filter Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGUXPT#1 29 BH 076425 0005395 5 am 10/Funs anp Gases membrane filters (Model HA, Millipore Corporation [Ref, 1.2)) were used to collect the fume samples, The HA Millipore filter has a nominal pore sizeof 0.45 ama which meets the AWS specification. In ation, a pre- ‘ious study (Ref. 1.3 showed thatthe filtration efficiency fof @ comparable filter (Model FH, pore size 0.5 jum) ‘wes essentially 100 precent forall particle sizes. An analytical balanee (Model M5, Mettler Instrument) with a nominal sensitivity of 0.001 mg was used to weigh the filters before and after use. A simple repeatability check showed thatthe actul accuracy Was about 0.005 img, In order to avoid any moisture absorption or chem- ical reaction effects on the filter and sample weight, the filters were kept in a constant temperature, constant hhumiity room for atleast one hour prior to weighing. When a blank filter was kept under this environment and the weight was measured, the data were repeatable ‘within 0.015 mg over 24 hours. A similar experiment ting a fiter-pls-fume sample showed that the mea- surement was repeatable within 0.020 mg. Since the collected sample weight was always higher than $ mg, the above variations were considered acceptable ‘In addition to the filter weighing method, a particle countgr was also used to determine fume particle con- i centrations in the breathing zone, The particular instra- Sampling tubes ment used was condensation neclei counter, Model £-1033A-001G1, manufactured by the Environment One Corporation, designed for real time measurements of airborne particle number concentrations, In this insru- ‘ment the paticolato-laden sir sample is saturated with water vapor and then adiabatically expanded to 2 low pressure, causing the Wator vapor to condense on the Particles (which, in this case, serve as condensation hci) and form relatively large droplets. The concen- tration of these large droplets is then measured optically by light transmission. ‘The instrament can measure fume particles in the size range of 0.002 gm and larger In ‘Giameter. The standard operating flow rate forthe instru- iment is 3 liters per minute, which was only 10 percent higher than the filter sampling rate, as will be shown, ‘The advantage of using this instrument was that it gave ‘eal time measurements while filter measurements only provide time average values. The counter was used be- ‘cause it provided information on changes in particle Concentration asa function of time. OF particular interest ‘was the rate at which the fume concentration behind the helmet varied. ‘Air Current Generator, The air current generator was tused to produce air currents or local ventilation across fand around the table where the welding expeciments were performed. Details of the alr current generator plenum are shown in Fig. 1.4. The plenum was a ply- twood box, 4 fex 4 fx 15 (1.2 mx 2 mx 0.45 m), ‘containing a thick, packed bed. A blower was mounted fon the back side to force air through the assembly. The bed was filled with a foamed plastic packing material Fig. 1.3—-Photograph of modified welding hheld in place with perforated plates. Measurements helmet showed thatthe generator produced a uniform velocity Cony by te Aeron lla Soc he ‘Sun dal 06 10:00:42 1997 a See AWS FGUSPT*3 79 MM O7B42E5 0005396 T Wl Part 1. Ventitation Suaies]11 a Blower (2m a J} 4.2m ——-| 3/8n. 19 mm) pywood covering Pegboard: 1/4 In (84 rm) hols, n (26-4 mm) caters Air inet Packing material Fig. 1.4—Details of the air current generator profil tthe outlet face and over the welding area, ‘The ait velocity in the welding zone was measured during the calibration tests using a hot wire anemoreter (Mhermo-System, Ine., Model No. 1050). The variation in the velocity profile ata distance of 42 in. (1.07 m) from the outlet face ofthe generator was +15 percent of the average velocity at 80 fimin (15.24 main) and 225 percent st 200 ft/min (61.0 m/min). ‘The ae velocity was varied by varying the blower speed, which made it possible to obtain any velocity between 30 and 250 ft/min {©.14 and 76.20 minis). Flow direoton relative to the Welders normal welding positon was obtained by rota ing the working table relative tothe generator. Welding Lquipment. Welding equipment uscd during these experiments included a de power generator, a shunt bar to measure are voltage and current, and @ welding fable. The electical output of the power supply was ‘monitored using a shunt bar arrangement which made it possible to record electrical signals (mV) that were pro- portional fo are voltage and current. The data signals ‘were recorded on a Honeywell Electonic 19 Strip Chart Recorder. Welding was performed using 5/32in. (4) diameter E6013 shielded metal arc electrodes. ‘A working table surface of 24 in, x 24 in, (0,61 mx 0.61 m) at a height of 28 in, (071 m) was used inthe studies. In order to maintain a consistent welder head Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 position, a horizontal bar was set up 14 in. (0.36 m) above the table and a guide hanger was attached to the vwelder's helmet 4 in. (0.10 m) above the viewing win- dow, as shown in Fig. 1.5. With this apparatus, the welder could move his head smoothly along the hori- zontal bar as the weld bead was made, but he could not ‘move up and down or in and out. When the welder was in a welding position and his helmet was attached to the horizontal bat, his ear position was 13 in. (0.33 m) above the are and 10 in, (0.25 m) away from the are (horizontal distance) Local Exhaust Apparatus ‘The test apparatus used to conduct the local exhaust experiments included: (a) local exhaust configurations, (b) fume simulator, (c) exhaust vacuum supply system, (@ welding setup, and (e) instrumentation, Components ‘of the apparatus used in the local ventilation experiments ‘that were also used in the local exhaust experiments are not discussed in this section; these include the ait generator and components associated with the welding setup. ‘Local Exhaust Configurations. A number of local ex- haust configurations were examined, including flanged ducts 3, 6, and 8 in. [76, 152, and 203 mum} diameters), AUS FGU*PT#1 79 BB O7A42b5 OO0S397 2 kt 12) ums anb Gases Berea cpr bore iat toheent orci epee Fig. 1.5~Photograph of the helmet support ‘mechanism slots (single and double configurations), and two over- head hood configurations, The inlet configurations ofthe flanged duct exhaust systems are shown in Fig. 1.6 for the 3, 6, and 8 in. (76, 152, and 203 mm) diameter ducts ‘The flange sizo that was used is a recommended con- figuration set forth in Ref. 1.4, A section of shet metal ducting was used for the exhaust inlet; the sheet metal section was connected toa flexible tube that was, in turn, connected to the vacuum supply plenum. The flanges ‘were attached to the sheet metal ducts and sealed to iwinate ae leaks between the flange and the metal duct. ‘Single- and double-slot exhaust configurations were ‘examined during this study. Fig. 17 is a schematic of the slot configuration, Included in the drawings are the ‘controlling dimensions for the two configurations ex- famined (slot dimensions were obtained from Ref. 1.4). ‘The single-slot size was 1.20 x 24 in. (30.5 x 610 mm), ‘which is approximately equal in area toa 6 in. (152 mm) diameter circular duct. The double-slots were each 0.6 x 24 in, (15.2 x 610 mum), having, a total area equivalent to the single-slot and to a 6 in. (152 mm) diameter cir- cular duct. The flow area for the single- and double-slot ‘exhaust configurations was made the same as the 6 in. (152 mam) diameter duct so that the face velocity atthe ‘exhaust inlet plano would be the same as that fora 6 in. (152 mm) duct tthe same exhaust flow rate. ‘Two overhead exhaust systems, overhead shelf and slanted overhead, were examined during this study. Fig. 1.8 is a schomatic of an overhead exhaust system. The basic dimensions for the overhoed and slanted overhead exhaust systoms were identical, the only difference being in the location of the exhaust inlet. The overhead exhaust systems were set up by attaching an overhead shelf to the ‘yacuun plenum section ‘The exhaust inlet size for both of these systems is shown in Fig. 1.8. When these configurations were tested, panels were installed on either side of the welding ‘work area to duplicate a welding booth arrangement. The side panels helped in controlling the flow of air from a preferred direction. Fame Shnulation Apparatus. A qualitative analysis ‘yas made of the characteristics of hot, buoyant plumes containing particulate matter of very small size. From this analysis it was concluded that, relative to the objec- Fang ae Tu Fig. Cony by te Aeron lla Soc he ‘Sun dal 06 10:00:42 1997 a See ‘Note: Flange dlemster [ds give blow oe i am am 2 (76)| 8 (20a) 8 con] 4 (as6) 8 (20a | te-i2 (472) Dimensions in inches (mitimeters) Details of the flanged duct exhaust inlet configurations AUS FGUSPT#3 79 Mm O78U2b5 0005355 3 mm Part Ventilation Studies)13, 2 a a Singe | 1.18 (20/24 6101 Double | 060761] 26 or0)}s0 02 Dimensions in ines (iar) Fig. 1.7—-Details of the slotted exhaust inlet configurations (single- and double-slot) (vera shat. Inet plana for overeadsatt ae cnt 13 25m (0.33 mx 04 m) WS “, fo plane forse oneread exhauet, 12 no 18.30 mx O46 mo) a ae ‘Voauum plan ton a s (0.81) y Note: Configuration was testa with and wathout side panes ‘Total width of tha hood ees 48 reer (1.22 m). WA Dimensions inches (ater) Work tbe Fig. 1.8—Details of the overhead hood exhaust system Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGU*PT*2 79 mm 0784265 0005399 5 mm 14/Fumes aNp Gases tives of this study, the required simulation of actual welding plumes would exist if the temperstures within the two plumes were equal and the response of the two plumes (0 a given air current was identical. Equal tem ‘perature profiles would result in equal buoyancy and, therefore, equal upward velocities. Identical response to an ale current would result when the mass flow rates wwere equal. “The simulator was a device used to produce plumes representative ofa broad range of those generated during actual welding. The reasons for using a simulator instead of actual welding plumes were twofold: it provided a ‘means of obtaining a continuous, long-lasting plume that could be accurately reproduced and quickly changed to simulate different welding operations; and it permitted the use of a tracer gas that could be accurately mea- sured on a real time basis, The underlying consideration ‘was to obtain the maximum possible amount of informa tion and design data within restraints placed on the program, ‘The apparatus designed, fabricated, and used to dupli- cate the flow of welding fimes in the vicinity of the ‘welder included a gas heater unit, a gas supply system, and associated monitoring and control systems. Tig. 1.9 is a schematic of the apparatus used to dup cate the flow of welding fumes, The gas supply system included a two-bottle bank of nitrogen, a two-bottle bank of earbon monoxide, and associated regulators and valves to control and select the desired gas. Nitrogen ‘was used as an intermediate gas to bring the system up to operating condition and when CO was not being used (periods of time between test runs, etc.). The gas flow rate to the heater was controlled with a needle valve installed in the gas supply fines and was measured wsing arotometet, "The gas (CO or Ng) was electrically heated by a heater designed and fabricated at BCL. A schematic of the heater essembly is shown in Fig. 110. Gas was intto- duced into tho bottom of the heater and passed over tlectrically heated elements as it flowed up through the heater. The gas temperature was monitored at the top of the heater in the stagnation chamber using a chromel- alumel thermocouple. The thermocouple output was re- ‘corded and monitored on a strip chart recorder. At the heater outlet an orifico plate was used to obtain the de- sired initial plume size with various orifice plates used (o duplicate different welding plumes. The heater shell ‘was insulated to reduce heat losses. The heater operating temperature range was 100°F to 1200°F (38°C to 649°C) ‘and Was edatrolled using a 110 volt (ae) varise controller. ‘Vacuum Exhaust System. A system was set up to de- termine the effectiveness of various Tocal exhaust sys- tems, Tt included a blower fo move the desired amount of ait, an orifice plate to measure the amount of air Heated ge plume amen ‘Thermocouple Recorder Rogaltor cps Gat supaly Ont valve beater 0 contrat vale 11000 Regulator. Ge Flow Varia heater ‘soy oe voltage cantly Ny On ott ave Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Vv (volume flow rte) Schematic of fume simulator apparatus Elects in (460 min) — Mounting holes — orites Nxt 145 rm) ‘moving through the exhaust system, a CO sampling probe fo measure the concentration level of CO in the ‘exhaust duct, and a vacuum plenum to which the various local exhaust systems were connected. Fig. 1.11 shows the arrangement of hardware and instrumentation used in conducting the local exhaust sy: tem experiments. ‘The simulator apparatus and local coxhaust inlet configurations shown in Fig. 1.9 were discussed in previous sections, ‘The duct type exhaust inlet configurations were at- tached to the vacuum plenum with flexible tbi the inlet could be posi to the welding arc, or are simulator location, or both (noted as welding area in Fig. LI). The vacuum exhaust Plenum was connected tothe blower with 12 Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGUXPT=] 75 Mm O78¥2b5 0005400 5 mm Part 1 Ventilation Studies/15 Orifice plate Chrome lume! Spl pte (6s oe tine Section AA Fig. 1.10—Details of the gas heater diameter metal ducting. A flow-measuring orifice plate ‘was installed approximately 12 ft (3.66 m) downstream of the vacuum exhaust plenum and 10 f¢ (3,05 m) up: stream of a 90 degree elbow in the ducting to the blower as shown in Fig. LIL. ‘The CO sampling probe was located 5 ft (1.5 m) downstream of the orifice plate. ‘The blower outlet was exhausted to the atmosphere ‘outside the laboratory. ‘The orifice plate pressure differential and upstream pressure were measured using inclined and vertical water ‘manometers. CO concentration levels were measured ‘using a Beckman CO Analyzer, Model No. 3158. ‘The vaccum exhaust plenum was fabricated using a 3/4 in. (19 mm) thick plywood sheet, reinforced with ‘metal angles. The plenum was designed sufficiently AUS FGU*PT*1 79 MM 0784265 OOOS4O) T mm 16/Fumes aND Gases == ovr Exterior wal of lebortory Blower exhaust tine pf Orifica flow metar ' fF ermal 121m. om, (0.30) dts }—P, upstream pressure Exhaust peru tea tex 1 Helmet concentration rite oP oxta : 0 coneeniation caletion Fig. 1.11—Schematic of test apparatus used in the local exhaust experiments large (4.x 4x L5 ft [1.2x 1.2 x 0.46 mp t0 reduce non- uniformities in the velocity flow field at the entrance tothe slotted and overhead hood configurations. Instrumentation. All of the instruments used in this study were off-the-shelf items. These included recorders, thermocouples, rotometers, CO analyzer, manometer, and sharp-edge orifices. The instrumentation was checked out after installation to ensure proper operation ‘Two probes were designed and fabricated at BCL for this study: the CO sampling probe used in the vacuum cexhaust duct (12 in, (0.3 mJ diameter) to measure CO concentration level, and a multi-sensor thermocouple robe to measure temperatures within the welding plumes And the plumes generated using the simslator. ‘CO Probe, In order to determine the efficiency of the exhaust devices, it was necessary {© measure the CO concentration level in the vacuum exhaust line. Fig. 1.12 is a schematic of the CO probo uséd to obtain the gas samples, The sampling holes in the probe were sized and located according to conventional practice in order to obtain an equal volume (mass) sample for equal flow Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 areas in the 12 in. (0.3 m) diameter duct cross section, It was later verified by closing selected sampling holes that the CO concentration within the duct flow cross section was uniform. Orifice Meter. A standard sharp-edge orifice meter ‘wos used to measure the volume flow of gas that passed through the vacuum exhaust system. A 3.6 in, (91.4 min) and an 8 in, (203 mm) diameter orifice plate were used to cover the range of gas volume flow rates. The cal bration curves for both orifices are presented in Fig. 113. Temperature Probe, A temperature probe was used {0 ‘measure gas temperatures in the plumes generated during fre welding and in the simulator plume. A schematic of the temperature probe is shown in Fig. 1.14. The tem= perature probe was positioned above the welding and simulator table so that the thermocouple array was in a horizontal plane. An array of eighteen chromel-alumet thermocouples was used to measure plume gas tempera- ture, This large number of thermocouples was needed because of the unsteady flow of the plume. The eighteen thermocouple output signals were recorded simultane- Conv by he bt Siro oa 19 ously, with a CEC Light Beam Oscillogreph, Model No, 5-124. The temperatures at various distances from the are were easily determined from the oscillograph traces, Photography. Pictures of the welding plume tra tores were taken as part of tho characterization of the fume flow field. The pictures were taken with an Orbit 4x 5 in. (102 x 127 mm) camera using Polaroid Type Sofi, ‘Welding Setup. The importent aspects in setting up a ‘welding operation in the laboratory are that field opera 8.50 n. (165 mm) —| 6.0 in. (152 mun) —a} 574 in. (148 ran) —o| 5.18 in. (132 mm) —af 4.57 in. (116 em) el 3.8510. (28mm), —o} 2.96 in. (78 mm =o} {0 holes 0025 in. (0.635 mm) da Weleg Society ne “AUS FGU#PTX) 79 MM O784245 COOSHO2 1% mm 0.036 in. (0.869 mm) ian, hole Part Ventilation Stuies|17 tions are represented as closely as possible and that ‘operational variables can be repeated in a controlled ‘A welding table having a working area of 24 x 24 in, (0.61 x 0.61 m) at a height of 28 in, (0.71 m) was set up in the laboratory and measurements were made relative to the arc location at the center of the work area. The workpiece was allowed to move opposite the weld direc- tion in a horizontal plane in oedee to maintain the are in a constant location for the plume temperature mea- surements and plume deflection tests, 12h em an “ saree 1 ! 4 °F (1227 mm) Connection to CO analyzer sempling ine Fig. 1.12—Details of the CO probe. 18/Fums anb Gases AUS FGUXPT#L 79 mm 784265 0005403 3 mM Presue diffrent, AN mim HzO 2004060. 100 4000 -7— rice volume flow rte, 3/min 6 10 Taleeataal L T—T—T-T Litit 1 Tgtalgigl 0 60 co 40 20 OF 03 04 D508 08 10 Pree ciferentil, Ain. iO rice volume flow rate, mio Fig. 1.13—Calibration curves for the 3.6 and 8 in. (91.4 and 203.2 mm) diam. orifice plates Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGUXPTx) 75 Mm O7B42ES ooos4oy s mm Part! Ventilation Studies/19 120 (114) 14, (256) Bin FeV in (12.7 mm) 76 ain 2.7 mm 2h (906 me in. Suppor bar A mn) sia (114 owe) “Thermocouple locations | Wire mesh (1/2 x 1/2 inch (01237512.7 mn) ‘Chromet lume thermocouple wire / 90 page, bau 8260020 in (0.51 mm dam, Fig. 1.14—Schematic of the temperature probe Copy by the Ane Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Weleg Society ne 20/FumEs AND Gases Ag = Local exhaust inlet area © = Concentration level (Bquation 1) Cy__= Conteminaton level in any ventilation Ceo. = Carbon monoxide concentration level (Equation 5) C*co. = Carbon monoxide evel without exhaust (Equation) Cy = Steady-state concentration level (Equation 3) Cy" = Fume concentration lvl in wolde's breathing zone yg = Pume concentration lve in welders breathing zone for 2x0 ventilation velocity dg. = Local oxhaust duet diameter (Fig. 1.6) de = Local exhaust flange diameter Fig. 16) 4) = Orifice diameter Dp = Particle diameter (Equation 4) f= Pure generation rate k= Slot dimension (Fig. 7) Bh = Orifice citferential pressure ‘m= Particle mass concentration (Equation 4) n= Particle number concestration pq = Ditferenal pressue ain. = Airvotume flow rte (Equation 3) Sco. = Carbon monoxide volume flow rate (Equation 5) Og = Localexhaust volume flow rate AUS FGUXPT#L 79 MH O78N2LS ODOSHOS 7 ‘of Symbols Used in Sections IA, IB, and IC Gs = Gasflow rate through heater Oy = Ventilation rate (Equation 1) s ot spacing (Fig. 7) Ty = Gas temperature in heater Ay = Plume temperature, fume aTg Arg. Plume temperature above orifice lume temperature, simulator gas Vo = Zero ventilation velocity Veo = Local ventilation velocity Vp = Room volume (Equation 1) x Horizontal distance from are location Xa ume deflection distance Xg = Horizontal distance of locel exhaust inlet from are location (Fig. 1.40) Zz Hight above arc location Zp = Vertical distance of local exhaust inlet from are location 4 = Room contamination factor (Equation 6) ew = Welder exposure factor (Equation 7) ‘ng = Exhaust collection efficiency Op = Angle betwoon exhaust device and welder (Fig. 1.40) 0 = Local ventilation direction (Fig, 1.23) bp = Particle density (Bquation 4) Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Section IA. General Room Ventilation Fluid Dynamic Considerations ‘The fumes and gasos generated during welding opert- tions are influenced by the operator and interact with the ambient air currents resulting in 2 complex flow, The nature of the welding process and the resultant unsteady flow of the fumes and gases futher complicate the flow. In this study, the welding plume is defined es the ‘colurnn of gases and particulate matter resulting from the release of large amounts of energy in a very small vol- ‘ume. The particulate matter of importance inthe control ‘of weld fumes consists of those particles whose motion is governed by the hot welding gases and ambient air ‘currents. Typically, the characteristic dimension of these particles (effective diameter) is approximately 1 jum or fess, ‘To aid in understanding the physical processes of Importance in the generation and control of weld fumes and gases, it is useful to consider the welding plume in terms of zones. ‘These zones are shown schematically in Fig. 1.15 and are referenced from horizontal plane through the are for convenience. Three major zones can be identified: (a) are zone, (b) welder zone, and (e) free zone. ‘he are zone is the region where the plume flow is predominanlly controlled by the energy release and subsequent heating that occurs from the electric arc. ‘The welder zone is defined as the region in which the presence of the welder influences the plume flow. ‘The free zone is above the welder and is the egion in which the plume is infiuenced solely by room air currents. ‘The fume and gas flows in the arc zone are strongly influenced by the arc discharge process and the intense arc heating process. The path taken by the plume in this zone is erratic (both vertical and horizontal trajectories) and the fume and gas velocities are relatively high in comparison tothe corresponding velocities in the welder and fiee zones. Control of the fumes and gases in this ‘zone requires external devices that can generate high, induced flow velocitis in order to infhience the high fume and gas velocities, However, inducing high air ‘currents in the are zone can have an adverse effect on the quality ofthe weld ‘The characteristic movement of the fumes and gases in the welder zone is upward. The horizontal motion of the plume induced in the are zone damps out quickly and is essentially zero by the time the gases and fumes reach the welder zone. The plume velocities in the welder zone are relatively low (~ 100 to 500 ft/min [~30 to 150 mf min) and the gases and fumes would rise vertically if they were not influenced by ambient air curronts and the presence of the welder. The major characteristic of the plume in the welder zone is that the velocities (gases and fumes) are low; thetefore, the path of the plume can be influenced by air currents of small magnitude (natural oom air currents can effect the plume trajectory in this Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Frsstrctser entra o7seveTaoos oct Section IA. General Room Ventiation/2L zone), Another important aspect ofthis zone is that the welder can influence the flow pattern and resulting plume trajectory. Thus, the influence of the welder on the plume must be considered when analyzing the flow characteristics within this zone. This zone can be ‘considered as extending from a few inches from the are ~3.5 inches [~80-130 mum) to approximately the eleva- tion of the top of the welder’s head, Plume velocities and temperatures decrease in the welder zone as the fumes and gases move upward. Its Tarly easy to induce the necessary air currents in this zone to deflect the plume path so that the plume does not engulf the welder's hhelmet. Inthe welder zone, the plume must be controlled to protect the welder. As the welding fumes and gases continue to rise, a ‘well-defined plume is less apparent. In the region above the wolder’s head, the flow of fumes and gases is pre- dominantly influenced by room air currents. The con- centration of fumes and gases will decrease asthe Furnes ‘and gases mix with the ambient room ait. The mixing and diluting process involves many factors associated with the room environment, For exemple, under cit- ‘cumstances of poor room ventilation, the fumes could collect in the ceiling area. When the welding stops, the fumes would subsequently fll and contaminate the room environment. Also a portion of the fumes would be deposited on surfaces within the room (walls, floors, ceiling, etc.). The long-term room contamination level will depend upon the room ventilation rate, welding process (amount of welding contaminates generated), land the effectiveness of aily exhaust system used to collect the welding fumes and gases, Room Ventilation ‘The bulk of the fumes generated during welding eom- sists of small particles that remain suspended in the ait for a considerable period of time. As s result, their con. centration in a closed work area builds up over a period. ‘of time, as does the concentration of any gases evolved of used in the welding process. The particles will even- tually deposit on the room walls and floor, but the rate at which this occurs is extremely low compared to the rae at which they are generated by welding processes, ‘Since the particles tend to remain suspended in the ait, their concentration can be controlled by geveral room ventilation. In most eases, general room ventilation is more effective in protecting personnel inthe area around the welding operation than iti in protecting the welding. operator. General room ventilation may occur naturally, as ‘when doors and windows are open, or it may require fans and blowers to force and direct the required amount of air through the building or work room. OF course, the effectiveness of general room ventilation is strongly ‘dependent upon the design ofthe system, be it natural oF forced ventilation. The locations at which fresh air is ‘22/uses AND Gases Freezone 2 16inches (036m) ~ Welder zone Za Sindee (013m) = Arczone = Ona ‘ne lection Welling able Introduced and contaminated sir is exhausted must be such thatthe welding fumes and gases are carried away ‘nd do not concentrate in dead zones. In some cases, it ‘may be possible to locate the. fresh air supply $0 the in- coming air provides the required protection for the weld- ing operator as well as for personnel in the general area. “The concentration of fumes and gases that would exist in any closed room can be accurately calculated as a function of time. The governing differential equation for the contamination level in a closed room is given as a Bauation I Ve SF —(C ~ Co) Oy +f ‘where € is the room contamination level, Cis the con- centration level in any ventilation air, Vg is the room ize, Oy is the ventilation rate, and f is the fume genera- 1 applies, assuming that the contaminant is uniformly spread throughout the room, that there is no Joss of fime due to deposition on various surfaces (walls, floors, etc), and that, ifthe room is ventilated, the ven tilation air fs uniformly distributed. I itis assumed that the ventilation air is free of any fume contamination, that is, Cy = 0, Equation { can be integrated to obtain the following expression for the room contamination level asa function of time. Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGU*PT#1 79 Mm O764265 OOOS4O? O mm Wot plame Fig. 115=Drawing of welding plume illustrating various zones, i Equation 2: C(t) = 3.53 x 10" Sy (l — ¢ —Oyi¥RA ith the unit foreach ofthe variables being f ~ sfnin, By ~ td nin, ~ 1°, ~ minutes, and ~ mln * “The steady-state. oF maximuun room concentration levels can be determined from Equation 2 by assuming fn infinitely large time period With this essumption, Equation 2reduces to Hquition 3: Cy = 3.53 x 104f10y Steady sate fume concentration levels (Cy) calculated using Equation 3 are showa in Tig. L.16 and apply 10 rooms ofall sizes. The concentrations presented in Fig 116 ca also be used (o estimate room steady-state fume concentration levels if more than ove welding operation isin progress, For example: assuming that there are five ‘telling operators each generating fumes sa rate of "pproximately 0.6 g/min, and that room ventilation rate is 10,000 sta f/min (283.2 std m/min), tne room con- centration level would be 10 mela or 5 times the level for a single welding operation. Fstimated fume genera tion rates for various Welding processes ate presented in 1. The ime required to achieve steady-state concentration Jevels depends upon the room size and vetltion rat. 2d fefmin = standard eubic feet per minute, measured at (O°Clnd I atm, pressure Room eoncerzadon tel {C,), mpi? Copy by the Ane AUS FGUXPTS1 75 Ml O784265 0005408 2 mm Section 1A, General Room Venttation/23 oom vention rte, std m/min 260 100, 200300 0. 1000 AA a Andie 19 20 40 60 80 10 0 “0 60 oom votletion rat, 8 t8)in x 109 Fig. 116-General room ventilation requirements for various welding fume gener: Weleg Society ne Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 24/Fumes AND Gases 10 AUS FGU*PT*2 79 mm 076425 OOOS4OS 4 mm on 06: 04 = G 02 Franion of steady-state concentration evel Part I ofthis report, and the fume generation rates for @ ‘number of the more eommonly used processes are given in Appendix A. Fig, [.16 can also bs used to determine | steady.state concentration levels for arc times Jess than 100 percent, which is almost always the case. For are times less than 100 percent, the time average fume gen- tion rate is used, The time average fume generation rae is obtained by multiplying the fume generation rate, as is shown in Appendix A, by the are time expressed asa decimal, For example: if, ina one-hour time period, 25 minutes wore spent in actual welding, then the arc time would be 25/60 oF 0.42, Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Fig. 1.17-Estimated room coneentrat time for various room sizes and ventilation rates 01 4 098 4 08 6 — Room vention rt sud nin q Vq~ Room sie, 12 7 0.04 4 02 4 oo LLL 1 | | | 0508 10 20 4080 80 10 20 40 ‘Arete, min on level as a function of Using Equation 2, umnsent concentration levels were determine for dine periods lee than those required tchiovestedysnte fv. Fig. 17 shows the room Concentration level a neon of tne. The concent thn level (Ct presente a fraction ofthe seal. Site vale(Cy), andthe resuling rato (Ci), is plted fsa function of ate te and QyiVe ota Ga con fan), Therefor, in order to exit room consi Gon leva asa fncion of tine fora paroaar setup is necessary fo we both Figs, L1G and Li ilutaapplicaon of Ps, 1.16 and 117, the fume concearaon in a oom vas determined assuming y= 3000s in (85s find Vq= 10.000 69 (289.2%) # -000hnin Fure soncentration ive, main? AUS FGUSPT#1 79 mm O7S¥24S O00SYL0 0 Section 8, Local Venitation/25 oS ‘Fig. 1.18-Room concentration level as a function of time for representative room conditions ‘room volume of 10,000 ft (283 m*), a veatilation rie cof 3000 std f/min (85m/min), and generation of weld. ing fumes ata time average rate of 0.8 glmin. Fig, [16 shows that the steady-state concentration level for these conditions would be 9.5 mglm# Referring then to Fig. 1.17, itcan be seen that forthe assumed conditions result- ‘ng ina system time constant of 0.3, the room eoncentra- tion would be one-half ofthe steady-state valuc after about 2.5 minutes of continuous welding. Fig. 118 shows the oom fume concentration level in ma/m® as a function of time for this example. Section IB. Local Ventilation Data Needed General room ventilation can effectively control con- tamination levels within a general area but, in many Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 cases, does not provide the loeal control needed to pro tect the welding operator. Local ventilation is an effec- tive way of providing this protection. For those eases where either room size, are time, or natural ventilation provides adequate control of general room contamination, ‘only local ventilation would be needed to protect the Welder. Since the data needed to design for local venti- Iation are not available in the literature and cannot be accurately calculated, they were obiained experimentally. [Experiments were performed to determine the effect of the air currents associated with local ventilation on the fume concentration level in the welder’s breathing zone ‘The natural tendency of welding fumes is to rise ver- tically, due to heating of the air and gases in the immedi- ate vicinity of the electric arc. ‘The welder’s heed is ‘usually close to or in the plume above the are; therefore, the welding fumes will low around the helmet as they move vertically upward, and a portion of the Furnes will also penetrate behind the helmet. The amount ot concer- tration of fumes behind the helmet will be a function of 26/UMBS AND Gases the welder's postion, the fume generation rate, and the focal ventilation rate‘and direction. Inthe experimental studi’, the reduction in welder exposure levels was deter- ‘mined over a range of air velocities and flow directions. Calibration of Equipment Critical Flow Orifice. The crical flow rife. wes calibrated with a wot tst meter. During orifice caibra- tion the filter hokle, loaded witha filter, was connected shead ofthe orifice to duplicate the acusi sampling How condition. The flow rate for the orifice used was 2.7 itersjmin when choked flow existed dross the orifice. ‘To onsure thatthe enifes always operated with choked flow and to check for filer clogging during sampling, the pressure drop across the orice was set and mont- tored with pressure gage and installed downstream of the orifice as shown in Tig. 1.2 Condensation Nuclel Counter. The validity of using the condensation nuclei counter for measuring fume mass concentrations was confirmed as follows. Since the background aerosol concentration (40° gi?) is negligible compared to the particle concentraiion caused by welding epically ~30°000 gin), the mean tile size should remain the same under various venta: tion conditions. For these conditions, the mass concen- tration ean be waiten as Equation 4: m = npp Dp where ‘m = particle mass concentration, mgim* nn = particie number concentration, number? dp =asticle density, mg/m? Dy = particle diameter, am In Equation 4, itis apparent that the number concentra- tion measured by the particle counter can be directly correlated to the mass concentration. Some measure- ‘ments were performed to compare the counter output with the actual filter weighing. The comparison, shown in Fig. 1.19, demonstrates that mass measurements ob: tained using a filter can, indeed, be linearly correlated with the counter output as indicated by Equation 4. ‘Therefore, the realtime characteristics ofthis instrument were used advantageously in the subsequent tests to be described later, Initially tests were performed vsing both the particle counting method and the filter weighing method to mea- sure fume concentration levels. Usually, it was possible {0 obtain the particle counter data using only one clec- trode while five electrodes had to be used during the filter weighing measurements 0 obtain a sufficient ‘sample for weighing. The two measuremeats were com- pared and checked for agreement with the calibration ‘curve (showm in Fig. 1.19). The calibration curve was ‘confirmed and subsequent data were taken with the con- densation nucle counter, Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGU*PT#1 79 MM O7842b5 OOOSH1L 2 mm ‘Air Current Generator. The ventilation air velocity in the welding zone, 42 in. (1.07 m) from outlet face of the generator, was calibrated in terms of the pressure ‘drop across the packed bed. The calibration curve is shown in Fig. 1.20. This pressure drop was subsequently used to set the sir velocity during the experiments Experimental Procedure In conducting the local ventilation experiments, sev- eral factors were mainteined constant from run to Fun to climinate their possible influence on the fume eoncen- tration level: (@ welder's posture and head position, (D) inital base metal temperature, and (€) surface con: tamination. The one important uncontrollable variable ‘was the unsteady flow pattern of natural convection created, by the welding arc. This resulted in some vatia- tion in the measured values. In order to collect samples as representative and consistent as possible, the follow ing setup and techniques wete used. “The welder's head position was controlled by the hri- zontal bar attached to his helmet (see Fig. 1.5) which assured that his ear was 13 in. (0.33 m) above the are and 10 in. (0.25 m) away from the are horizontally ‘When more than one electrode was needed in order to cobain a measurable fume sample, the base metal was ly moved after each olectrods so the working spot ‘would remain in approximately the same location for each electrode. Therefore, any of the spots coated with slag from the previous electrode were not welded over. ‘All the above procedures were followed because it was found ducing shakedown tests thatthe natural fume cone veetion patter and the ventilation flow pattern can be _eatly influenced by these variables. The experiments were conducted in the following manner: The welder was positioned relative to the dec- tion of the air flow from the generator needed to obtain the desired ventilation flow angle. An are was struck and power supply adjustments were made to obtain the ‘are voltage and current specified by the manufacturer for the electrode being used. After the power supply was properly sct, welding was started and samples were collected. When more than one electrode was required in order to obtain a measurable sample, fume sampling ‘was performed only during the times when welding was in progress. Therefore, the results apply 10 100 percent are time, Fume concentration measurements were performed in the welder’s breathing zone for a number of ventilation velocity conditions (magnitudes and directions). Fume ‘measurements were also performed under conditions of zero ventilation. The results of the fume measurements follow. Experimental Results In order to determine the repeatability of the fume concentration measurements, eight filter measurements Copy by the Ane Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGU*PT*1 79 m@ 07842b5 O005422 4 om Section IB, Local Ventilation/21 T TTT Fate concentration, prtlsin? © Positive lectrde A. Hepsi eoorode 0 | 100 Mas concentration, mghn® Fig. 1.19—Comparison of condensation nuclei counter and filter weighing results were made with no ventilation, ‘The results on the tests are shown in Fig. 1.21. The SMAW process was used during this test series using a 5/32 in. (4 mm) diameter 'B6OI3 electrode (Code 4). A welding current of 150 A and fn are voltage of 25 V were used for both polarities. ‘The average welding time for each electrode under these conditions was approximately 70 seconds. At least five clecttodes were needed to obtain measurable fume mass fn the filter. ‘The results shown in Fig, 1.21 indicate that there is a25 percent seatter in the data, Weleg Society ne Fig. 122s a representative recorder trace ofthe output of the condensation nuclei counter asa function of time. ‘The trace shows that the fume concentration in the ‘welders bresthing zone quickly increases in the first 10 seconds after an arc is struck. The welder’s breathing and the intrinsic unsteady flow pattern associated with the welding process cause the fluctuations observed in the counter signal. In reducing the data from the counter ‘output, the area below each curve was integrated to cobain a time average value of furne concentration Tevel. AUS FGUXPT*) 74 M@ O7S42b5 0005433 b mm 28/Fumes AND Gases res ferent aro puke bad (mm Hi ay op 10 a 100 T TT TTT T TT TTT | —|200 | 100 j i per i gE %. ea : BE a Ps = a a i | = e | a © soe wie mesrements 4,107 fam front tae ot goer ol — | 1 | tittit | 1} yiiit Bor ar 10 Presurecifrenti srs packed ed (Pn Hg Fig. 1.20—Calibration data for the air current generator Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGWxPTx1 79 mm 0784265 OO0SYL Section 1B, Local Ventilation|29 lose 6013 (Code 4) 8/32 in. (97 mm dam, 0 Mase concentration, mg/m fun 22 x 0 un 40 eel x x funza—Run2a Fig. 1.21—Results of fume concentration repeatability tests 109) T T T The reduction in fume concentration level in the welders breathing zone is presented as a function of ventilation conditions (air speed and direction) in Fis. 1.23, 1.24, and 1.25. Tho fume concentration level is ‘expressed ts a percentage rato ofthe fume concentration Jevel obtained with ventilation wir to thet measured for ‘eto ventilation velocity. The results from the experi- ‘ments conducted with the airflow from the welder’ let, 8 = 90? are shown plotted in Fig. 1.23 for ventilation elocites from zero to 100 ft/min (0-30 m/min). The fume concentration level drops quite rapidly from the level at zero ventilation to approximately 10 percent at mr about 80 ft/min (24.4 m/min). 1 can be assumed that the fume concentration level will decrease even Turther 48 the ventilation velocity is increased. Tho fume con- centration level for electrode negative polarity is aj proximately 50 perceat ofthe electrode positive polar level at zero veniltion velocity. The fume concentration level for zero ventilation (Cy,) was 37 mgim* when ‘operating wth electrode positive polity sure ‘The fume concentration measurements performed with sro the air current generator behind the welder (@=0") and in fron of the welder (@y=180") are presented in Fig 7 L L 1.24, The results for 00° (ventilation from behind ° oo 120 Too tho Welder) show that thers an increase of approximately Tine, seconds 20 percent inthe fume concentration level asthe venta Fig. 122 Ly ‘Are leaton Room contamination fctr, 8 2 Xe 18m (041) 4 + oo eB Q ie — cab o1 a a a a a ) Et volume low te (i) s/n Fig. 1.47-Single-slot contamination factor for @p= 180° Weleg Society ne Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AWS FGUKPT#) 79 MM 0784245 OO0S44O 9 mm Section IC, Local Exhaust Studles|$S (Gg), std m/min Lad T T T ooo}. ee amo} xe ti a4 evo} = § sco tiem ‘ : ; ozo \ oh \ ° Ns 0108 0020020 5059 a —F00 Exhaust volume flow ate (Qi), td Fin Fig, 1.48—Welder exposure factor for single-slot exhaust configuration Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGWxPT*2 79 M— 0784265 OOOS44) O mm '36/Fumns AND Gases Exnaust volume flow rte (Ge), std mf 2 6 ° 2 15 18 7 T T T T T oo. oa| ove Xen 16in. (0.41 md \ geeor YW %-t6ha et" \ a a T Room eortamination fstr, & T oof et al 1 Ase location hea (en yt (a2sm) = i. al Tsp \ On wae _ \ on \ es ol 1 Tao 300 —S00 4008000 Exhaust volume flow rate (Qi, td min Fig. 1.49—-Room contamination factors for double-slot inlet exhaust Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Welder exporure fst, ey Copy by the Ane Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 AUS FGU*PT*1 79 mm 0784265 GOOSu4e 2 mm 09 os 07 & 02 on Section IC. Local Exhaust Studies|51 Exhaust volume flow rete (2), td mira Xg 16, (041 m) Eos lune ow te (Op) din Fig. 1.50—Welder exposure factors for double-slot inlet exhaust AWS FGUXPTXL 79 MH O784265 OOO5443 4 mm '58/F umes AND Gases Exhaust volume low ata (Qt nin 3 6 8 2 15 18 & 2 Slanted oeheed type (not sae: 12x 18 in, (0.30 048 mt) Room contamination fctr, easel ype nt eat 13.28 in. [033x064 m)) 70 300400800 Exhaust volume tlw rate (Qi), std f/m ‘00 700 Fig. 1.51-Room contamination factors for overhead shelf and slanted overhead type exhaust hood Ik it is not possible to set up a fan, biower, or other system at y= 90° (cross-draft configuration), then Fig, 1.24 or Fig. 1.25 would be used instead of Fig, 1.23. ‘As indicated in the report, ventilation from behind and in front of the.welder is not effective and should not be cused (welder is better off without ventilation from these dlitections). Tt is possible to generate air currents of the level indicated above using either floor or table fans. Question 3 Local ventilation usually provides protection only for the welder. If environmental protection is also required, local oxhaust device could be used. For this example, it will be assumed that a flanged 4 in. (102 mm) di ameter duct will be used to collect the fumes. Figure 1.44 ccan be used to specify where the inlet should be located ‘and to determine the volume flow rate required to achieve various collection efficiencies, or room contamination factors, or both. For example, the exhaust flow rates needed for a collection efficiency of $0 percent and n0 room contamination are given in Table 1.5 for various exhaust inlet locations (Xz) at Og = 90° ‘Due to the unsteadiness of the welding plume with respect 10 is spatial location, the exhaust volume flow rato should be inereased by at least 30 percent or higher. Table.5 Exhaust volume flow rates (std ft3/min) Room contamination (x) Welder Flow rate condition std f3fnin std m/min sta t8/min st m3) Gammel Inches "50 percent 100 pereent 6025 o7t 46 1.30 8 50038 £08 ” 218 n 100 60 1.70 125 asa 6 120 9% 27 ns 6.37 2m Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Tt should be noted thatthe welders exposue fo fumes ‘may be reduced to zero at less than 100 percent exhaust collection of zero room contamination. For example, at Xg = 12 in, (305 mm), an exhaust volume flow rate of 225 std min (6.37 sd m/min) is required 1 achieve 7210 room contamination, whereas a flow rate of only 138 std f@/nin (3.91 std’ m¥/min) is required to fully protect the welder (ey ™ 0). This shows that either per a 6 9 09. ‘Oven shalt ‘ve = 03 o7 LS Welsrexponue feta, ey 0a) 02 a1 100 30536 Copy by the Ane Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Weleg Society ne FouxPT#1 75 MM O784265 OOOS444 & mm Exhaust volume flow rat (st nh Section IC. Local Exhaust Studies|59 formance criterion can dictate the design of the system and that both must be checked. ‘An alternate method of solving the problem is to de- termine the exhaust conditions required to fully protect the welder (ey = 0). An estimate of the exhaust volume flow rate for various exhaust inlet locations (Xp) ean be ‘do(ermined from Fig. 1.44 (assuming an exhaust duct igmneter of dg = 4 in. [102 mm] for ey = 0). The 2 15 18 = X= 17 in. (043 mp 0000 a0 F087 xis vlume flow rae) in Fig. 1.52—Welder exposure factors for overhead shelf.and slanted ‘overhead hood exhaust configurations AUS FGWXPTXL 79 MMH O7842b5 OOOSHHS 6 mm (60/Fumes anv Gases “—— Tot ldg ecmt wi ; EE Ses F gol — 3 Fool g : be » ZESOSZZZILLIE Test point with E6013 electrode Wa ume generation rts, gin Fig. 1.53—Estimated levels of welder fume exposure for zero ‘entilation and 100 percent arc time volume flow rates are presented below. + Hoviontal Fes ‘iaance, = “Ne ___ be a MNinin_sminin 601504 6 140 Bo 032 bn 100 2540 es) 20 ane ‘s 391 ‘The welder exposure conditions («}7) forthe exhaust configurations defined above can be determined from Fig. [.4l. For example, assuming Xp = 8.0 and 6g = 0.5: thevefore, Xeldg ~,2.0 and OpiAg = 3.0 for de = 4 in, (102 mm) and Op = 38 std f0/min (1.08 std m/min). From Fig. 14, gy = 0.3, and the welder exposure would be Cy =" 12 mg/m, assuming a z2r0 ventilation level of Cy = 40 mg/m (refer to Question 2 for Cy, determination), The welder exposure conditions (Cy) for the 50 percent room contamination factor were given in Thble 1,5, For zero room contamination, the ‘welder exposure tothe fumes would be zero. Copa by the Ameian elig Soci Sup Jl 06 180037 1997 Summary of Part! ‘The objective of this study was to generate data that ‘ean be used in the design of systems used to control the flow of fumes and gases generated during various weld ing processes. Design data for control methods were developed from experimental and theoretical studies in terms of (a) the level of exposure fo which personnel within an area or room would be subjected as a result of| ‘welding operations and (b) the level of exposure thatthe welder would experience. These data were generated by investigating general room and local ventilation and Jocal exhaust devices. "Tho effectiveness of local exhaust (collection) devices in reducing welding fume concentration levels in the ‘welder's breathing zone and in reducing room coucen- tration levels by collection of the welding fumes was

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