Measured pollutant removal performance of range-integrated downdraft exhaust kitchen ventilation device
Abstract
Cooking is one of the most substantial sources of indoor air pollution in most residences. This is mitigated most often by exhaust devices located near cooking surfaces. In this study, we measured the efficacy of one type of kitchen ventilation device which has been studied very little: a range-integrated downdraft ventilator. This was done via a full-scale mock-up of such a device. Results show that, to a greater degree than other kitchen ventilation devices, pollutant removal performance is highly dependent on location and type of source. Back-burner results for shallow emitters gave over 90% capture efficiency at a flow rate of 150cfm, while front-burner capture efficiency for taller emitters was below 30% even at the greatest flows tested (500cfm). Sensitivity tests were done to help inform a test method for such devices in the future.