Air Handler (AHU) For Hospital Operating Room With High-efficiency Filtration
An air handler in HVAC, also known as an air handling unit (AHU), is a crucial component of any Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system.
A hospital air handling unit (AHU) is a critical part of the HVAC system that conditions and circulates air to maintain safety, health, and comfort for patients and staff. Hospitals require specialized AHUs with features like HEPA filters for infection control, precise temperature and humidity control for different zones (e.g., operating rooms versus patient rooms), appropriate pressure relationships (positive for clean areas, negative for isolation rooms), high air changeover rates, and built-in redundancy to prevent system failures.
The JTAHM series of medical clean air conditioning units is developed in accordance with the requirements of the "Technical Code for Hospital Clean Operating Department", the "Code for Construction and Acceptance of Cleanrooms" and the "Air Handling Units for Clean Operating Rooms".
The air volume handled by the unit ranges from 2,600 m³/h to 40,000 m³/h, allowing customized selection for different clean room requirements. The unit has two major series: the mixed air type (R series) and the fresh air type (F series).
Key Functions and Requirements
Infection Control: AHUs remove airborne contaminants using filters (like MERV-14 or higher, or HEPA) and control airflow patterns to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses.
Air Quality: They filter out harmful particulates, ensuring high air quality for patients, visitors, and staff.
Temperature and Humidity Control: AHUs maintain precise temperatures and humidity levels, which are crucial for patient comfort, medical equipment functioning, and preventing the growth of pathogens.
Airflow and Pressure: Hospitals need different pressure levels for various zones; clean areas like operating rooms require positive pressure, while infectious isolation rooms need negative pressure to contain airborne contaminants.
Air Changeover Rates: Critical areas require specific, high air changeover rates to rapidly remove air contaminants.
Examples of Critical Hospital Areas and Their AHU Needs
Operating Rooms: Require high-efficiency filtration, positive pressure, and precise temperature and humidity control.
Infection Isolation Rooms: Need negative pressure to contain airborne diseases, along with appropriate filtration to remove pathogens before exhausting air.
Patient Rooms: Require comfortable temperature and humidity, along with good ventilation to support healing and staff safety.
Successful Cases
Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital
The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University