Understanding ASHRAE Standard 199-2016 in the dust collection industry ensures that production plants and manufacturing environments select the right dust collector for their facilities. The development of Standard 199, and its subsequent publication, provided the dust collection industry with a definitive method for testing the performance of industrial dust collectors. Issuing Standard 199 was the first time ASHRAE had identified a comprehensive methodology for testing dust collection efficiency for a particular plant or manufacturing environment.
The significance of Standard 199 cannot be understated. Although widely recognized as the industry standard for measuring filter media efficiency, ASHRAE’s MERV rating system is not designed for testing industrial dust collection systems cleaned by pulse jet technologies. The publication of Standard 199 not only established a method of testing dust collection for such systems but also provided information to identify the dust collection system best suited for a particular industrial environment.
Understanding the Importance of ASHRAE
ASHRAE is the acronym for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. A nonprofit organization, ASHRAE develops and publishes standards and protocols in the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. Considered the foremost global organization in promoting sustainable technology for built environments, ASHRAE comprises a diverse body representing professionals in building system design and industrial processes worldwide.
As a publisher of standards, ASHRAE is the accrediting body in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. ASHRAE is accredited by ANSI (American National Standards Institute), the governing authority overseeing the U.S. standards and conformity assessment system. ANSI accreditation assesses the competence of organizations and their conformance to standards in every business sector. ASHRAE follows ANSI’s requirements for due process and standards development. Together, the two organizations’ symbiotic relationship is dedicated to building consensus standards and conformity assessment systems while helping to assure the safety and health of consumers and the protection of the environment.
Purpose of ASHRAE Standard 199
Essentially, Standard 199 established a process to test how well dust collectors perform in real-world conditions. Before Standard 199 was established, there was no accurate test method to measure the overall effectiveness of dust collectors cleaned by pulse jet technologies. There was no comparative method to test true operating conditions of how different dust collector designs and filter options affect such factors as emissions or energy consumption. Before the publishing of Standard 199, the industry relied on MERV ratings for testing the efficiency of dust collection systems. However, the MERV rating system only applies to new filter media and their initial performance in static environments, not dynamic environments with different types of dust managing varying dust loads. By no means was the rating system designed to measure the efficiency of pulse-cleaned filters used in dynamic applications.
The publication of Standard 199, “Method of Testing the Performance of Industrial Pulse Cleaned Dust Collectors,” was an ASHRAE/ANSI collaboration intended to aid in evaluating the efficiency of industrial dust collectors with much greater accuracy. It provided a methodology to assess and compare the performance of self-cleaning dust collection systems. Under realistic operating conditions, test methods were designed to measure emissions, differential pressure, and compressed air consumption in pulse-cleaned dust collectors. Testing results for Standard 199 enable users to seek the best solution for a specific application and dust type.
To learn more about ASHRAE Standard 199 testing and how it can impact your dust collection system’s efficiency, please get in touch with us. The design engineers at CPE Filters have the expertise and experience to assist you in recommending the dust collection system that will best meet your facility’s collection needs.