Energysaving with the EcoPlus Fume Cupboard

Laboratories provide a safe working environment. This is exactly what fume cupboards maximise in the smallest research space in the room. The purpose of developing the EcoPlus low-energy fume cupboard from Köttermann was to operate it in a cost-saving and therefore as sustainable way as possible.

Maximum safety is the fundamental reason for choosing a fume cupboard. At the same time, it should simplify work, be ergonomically accessible and be able to be operated efficiently. Another focus is now on sustainable operation. The question to be answered here is whether it is possible to design and operate fume cupboards safely and sustainably at the same time.

Safe research and cost savings

The once again enclosed workspace in the laboratory allows the safe use of volatile organic compounds, acids or solvents. However, fume cupboards extract conditioned air from the laboratory. The treatment of this air is energy-intensive and therefore expensive and harmful to the environment. It is therefore worth considering a positive balance of ecological and economic effects.

A fume cupboard as a sustainability champion

The reduction in operating costs while at the same time complying with safety requirements can be achieved through a well thought-out product design. The Köttermann EcoPlus fume cupboard requires a low air volume flow due to its special air technology and design. With a recommended, constant volume flow of 275 m³/h per metre of fume cupboard width, the low-energy fume cupboard consumes around 30 percent less exhaust air than a standard fume cupboard on the market. This saves up to 1,000 euros in operating costs per year. The EcoPlus saves energy without the need to install an exhaust air control system.

The centrepiece is the unique flow technology: this reduces the air volume flow while simultaneously fulfilling all safety requirements. The standards are correspondingly high: in the robustness test to assess the performance of fume cupboards, the test gas burst of the EcoPlus is 70 per cent below the limit value required by the BG RCI for fume cupboards.

Saving energy with the sash

Exhaust air control systems reduce the exhaust air flow when the sash is closed without jeopardising the safety of the fume cupboard. The extract air volume flow is controlled by a motorised damper depending on the sash opening. For each operating state of the fume cupboard, only the volume of air required for safe operation of the fume cupboard is extracted from the laboratory. When the sash is closed, the volume flow of a fume cupboard can be reduced by around 50 per cent compared to when it is open. With Köttermann fume cupboards, the sash opening is set effortlessly via the TouchTronic electronic control unit using the controller on the display - precisely by sliding or selectively by tapping.

All-round protection

The AutoProtect automatic protection mechanism automatically closes the sash as soon as work in the fume cupboard ends. This also saves energy while minimising potential hazards. If something should protrude from the fume cupboard, CloseGuard ensures that the sash stops automatically by means of a light curtain.