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A desktop fume hood installed with an innovative design of flow boundary-layer separation controllers on the leading edges of the side plates, work surface, and corners was developed and characterized for its flow and containment leakage characteristics. The geometric features of the developed desktop fume hood included a rearward offset suction slot, two side plates, two side-plate boundary-layer separation controllers on the leading edges of the side plates, a slanted surface on the leading edge of the work surface, and two small triangular plates on the upper left and right corners of the hood face. The flow characteristics were examined using the laser-assisted smoke flow visualization technique. The containment leakages were measured by the tracer gas (sulphur hexafluoride) detection method on the hood face plane with a mannequin installed in front of the hood. The results of flow visualization showed that the smoke dispersions induced by the boundary-layer separations on the leading edges of the side plates and work surface, as well as the three-dimensional complex flows on the upper-left and -right corners of the hood face, were effectively alleviated by the boundary-layer separation controllers. The results of the tracer gas detection method with a mannequin standing in front of the hood showed that the leakage levels were negligibly small (≤0.003 ppm) at low face velocities (≥0.19 m/s).

The flow and spillage characteristics of an inclined quad-vortex (IQV) range hood subject to the influence of drafts from various directions were studied. The laser-assisted smoke flow visualization technique was used to reveal the flow characteristics, and the tracer-gas (sulfur hexafluoride) concentration detection method was used to indicate the quantitative values of the capture efficiency of the hood. It was found that the leakage mechanisms of the IQV range hood are closely related to the flow characteristics. A critical draft velocity of about 0.5 m/s and a critical face velocity of about 0.25 m/s for the IQV range hood were found. When the IQV range hood was influenced by a draft with a velocity larger than the critical draft velocity, the spillage of pollutants became significant and the pollutant spillage rate increased with increasing draft velocity. At draft velocities less than or equal to the critical value, no containment leakages induced by the turbulence diffusion, reverse flow, or boundary-layer separation were observed, and the capture efficiency was about 100%. The IQV range hood exhibited a high ability to resist the influences of lateral and frontal drafts. The capture efficiency of the IQV range hood operated at the suction flow rate 5 to 9 m(3)/min is higher than that of the conventional range hood operated at 11 to 15 m(3)/min.

A novel design of range hood, which was termed the inclined quad-vortex (IQV) range hood, was examined for its flow and containment leakage characteristics under the influence of a plate sweeping across the hood face. A flow visualization technique was used to unveil the flow behavior. Three characteristic flow modes were observed: convex, straight, and concave modes. A tracer gas detection method using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) was employed to measure the containment leakage levels. The results were compared with the test data reported previously in the literature for a conventional range hood and an inclined air curtain (IAC) range hood. The leakage SF6 concentration of the IQV range hood under the influence of the plate sweeping was 0.039 ppm at a suction flow rate of 9.4 m(3)/min. The leakage concentration of the conventional range hood was 0.768 ppm at a suction flow rate of 15.0 m(3)/min. For the IAC range hood, the leakage concentration was 0.326 ppm at a suction flow rate of 10.9 m(3)/min. The IQV range hood presented a significantly lower leakage level at a smaller suction flow rate than the conventional and IAC range hoods due to its aerodynamic design for flow behavior.

In order to increase containment efficiency and reduce energy consumption, an inclined quad-vortex range hood (IQV range hood) was developed and tested by experimental methods. The flow structure was observed by a laser-assisted flow visualization technique and laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). Leakage characteristics were measured by the tracer gas (sulfur hexafluoride) detection method. By arranging a narrow suction slot on the bottom face of the hood and two side plates hanging under lateral faces of the hood, a flow field featuring four backwards-inclined vortical flow structures was formed at suction velocities of larger than about 10 m s(-1) (suction flow rate 7.2 m(3) min(-1)). Oil mists were coherently contained in the vortical flow structures without observable dispersion out of the vortices; they rose up spirally with inclination towards the rear wall and were inducted into the suction slot. The backwards inclination of the oil-mist-containing vortical flow structures, caused by the backwards offset arrangement of the suction slot and the Coanda effect, benefited from the reduction in pollutant leakage induced by the influence of a mannequin's presence. Experimental results using the tracer gas concentration detection method showed a close correlation with the results from the flow visualization and LDV measurements. Under both occupied and unoccupied conditions, in which the mannequin was either present or not present, the IQV range hood provided low SF6 leakage concentration levels.

To increase containment efficiency and reduce energy consumption, a sash-less, variable-height inclined air-curtain fume hood (sIAC hood) was developed and tested by a laser-assisted flow visualization technique and tracer-gas detection method. This novel design requires neither sash nor baffle. The sIAC hood employed the inclined push-pull air-curtain technique and two deflection plates installed on the side walls of the hood to induce a tetra-vortex flow structure. The results of flow visualization showed that the slot for suction flow, offset from the slot for the up-blowing jet, caused the air curtain to incline towards the rear wall, thus enhancing the robustness of the tetra-vortex flow structure. Such a flow structure could reduce the influence of draught and human walk-by across the hood face. The containment around the central area of the hood was isolated by the inclined push-pull air curtain. The pollutants carried by the reverse flow induced by the flow separation were guided by the deflection plates from the side walls towards the rear, thus contributing to the formation of the tetra-vortex flow structure. The up/down movable ceiling positioned the suction slot close to the device's pollutant emission opening, but left room (less than 50 cm) for unrestricted hand movement. Testing was carried out based on the methodology described in EN14175. The results of a static test showed that small face velocities of 0.25 and 0.16 m s(-1) were enough to obtain nearly null leakage levels for low and tall pollutant sources. The results of a traversing plate test showed that the face velocity, 0.32 m s(-1), would cause negligibly small leakage levels. The sIAC hood could obtain significantly higher containment efficiency than a conventional hood by operating at a face velocity significantly lower than that of conventional hoods.

This study focused on the leakage characteristics of the air-curtain fume hood that are subject to the influences of sash movement and walk-by motion while a high temperature heat source was operated in the hood. The flow visualization and trace gas test method were used to investigate the performance of the air-curtain fume hood. An electric heater was placed in the hood to simulate the heat source. The temperature of the heat source installed inside the air-curtain fume hood varied between 180°C and 300°C. Trace gas tests following the dynamic test methods of EN-14175 protocol were employed to measure the spillages of sulfur hexafluoride gas that were released in the hood. When subject to the influence of sash movement at a heat source temperature lower than 260°C, the leakage level was high at the suction velocity V(s) < 8 m/sec but was negligibly small at V(s) > 10 m/sec. When subject to the influence of people walk-by, the leakage level was relatively low at the suction velocity larger than 8 m/sec at sash height H = 50 cm. The height of the sash opening was a crucial parameter for the containment of the air-curtain fume hood. At the sash opening lower than about 25 cm, suction velocity less than or equal to 6 m/sec was enough to make the sulfur hexafluoride leakage less than the threshold value, 0.65 ppm, suggested by the BG Chemie. The air-curtain fume hood presented a great performance to resist the effect of drafts even though there was a high temperature heat source working in the hood.

The current study developed a new type of range hood, which was termed an 'inclined air-curtain range hood', in order to improve the flow and performance of the conventionally used wall-mounted range hood. The flow characteristics and oil mist spillages of air-curtain and conventional range hoods under the influences of both a mannequin presence and a simulated walk-by motion were experimentally examined. The study examined flow patterns by using a laser-light-sheet-assisted smoke-flow visualization technique and diagnosed spillages by using the tracer gas concentration test method. A mannequin presented in front of the conventional hood induced turbulent dispersion of oil mists toward the chest and nose of the mannequin owing to the complex interaction among the suction, wake, and wall effect, while the inclined air-curtain hood presented excellent hood performance by isolating the oil mists from the mannequin with an air curtain and therefore could reduce spillages out into the atmosphere and the mannequin's breathing zone. Both flow visualization and the tracer gas test indicated that the air-curtain hood had excellent 'robustness' over the conventional hood in resisting the influence of walk-by motion. The air-curtain technique could drastically improve the flow characteristics and performance of the range hood by consuming less energy.

The flow characteristics and oil mist spillages of wall-mounted and jet-isolated range hoods were studied experimentally. Flow patterns were examined using a laser-light, sheet-assisted, smoke flow visualization technique. Spillages were diagnosed by the locally averaged tracer gas concentration test method. Tracer gas concentration test results correlated well with those of flow visualizations. For the wall-mounted hood, primary leakages occur around the region near the front edge of a countertop due to boundary layer separation, as well as the region just below the lower edge of the side panels of the hood due to the expansion effect of plumes. Increasing the suction flow rate above some critical values may help to reduce leakages out of the lateral planes but would increase spillages around the front edge of the countertop. For the jet-isolated range hood, oil mists spread widely and present unsteady motions with a high degree of turbulence because insufficient free air is allowed to enter the space enclosed by the jets and rear wall. Spillages across the jets into the environment due to turbulent dispersion become significant. Increasing the suction flow rate above some critical values may help to reduce spillages, while increasing the jet velocity would increase turbulent dispersion and thus lead to larger leakages.

Laser-assisted flow-visualization experiments and tracer gas concentration tests were conducted for the wall-mounted and jet-isolated range hoods to examine the physical mechanisms and relative magnitudes of hood spillages. The effects of a mannequin standing in front of the test rig and walk-by motions (which are situations always encountered in kitchens) were emphasized. The results showed that a mannequin (or a cook) standing in front of the counter would attract oil fumes toward the mannequin's body, induce large turbulent flows, and cause a significant dispersion of oil fumes into the environment through the front edge of the hood. Very high tracer gas concentrations were detected around the breathing zone of the mannequin. Increasing the suction flow rate did not reduce the spillage levels of the wall-mounted range hood but could moderately lower those of the jet-isolated hood. Serious spillages from both the wall-mounted and jet-isolated range hoods were detected as the simulated walk-by motion was performed. The jet-isolated range hood presented a much lower robustness in resisting the influence of people's walk-bys than did the wall-mounted range hood. In summary, both the wall-mounted and jet-isolated range hoods were vulnerable to the influences of a cook's presence and a cook's walk-by motions. Increasing the suction flow rate might not obtain satisfactorily low spillages of pollutants but might increase noise level and energy consumption.

In order to speculate the physical mechanisms of contaminant leakage during sash movement and walk-bys through a laboratory fume cupboard, the complicated three-dimensional flow patterns and the real-time tracer gas leakage are studied via the laser-assisted flow visualization method and the standard gas sampling technique, respectively, over a transparent, full scale chemical fume cupboard. Through the flow visualization, the evolution of drastic changes of the flow pattern is demonstrated. The highly turbulent jet-like currents are induced by the unsteady flow motion near the cupboard face. Large-scale turbulent eddies accompanied with the jet-like currents obviously bring large amount of in-cupboard smoke out to the atmosphere. The turbulent mixing extends the size and the strength of the large-scale eddy circulations, and predominantly contributes to the mechanism that causes the severe spread of contaminant leakage in few seconds. The tracer gas tests that are conducted by employing pr-EN 14175:2003 method show consistent containment results with the flow visualization findings. The temporally evolving large-scale turbulent eddies induced by the sash movement and the walk-bys cause substantially high contaminant leakage to the environment and the breathing zone of the operator.