Hayner (1995) describes a project at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based model to "predict the ventilation performance of different laboratory configurations":
The research project, which has reached its halfway mark, will first develop the CFD models, then verify their validity in the field. Results are due in January, 1996. Current literature on the subject does not deal with the complexities of laboratory layout and equipment placement; issues that confront facilities like NIH. The sophisticated research labs at NIH contain a lot of equipment. This equipment degrades the ability of the hoods to perform satisfactorily. It also tends to limit the design effectiveness of supply diffusers, thus aggravating the problem. The CFD project will give NIH the ability to test multiple configurations of laboratory ventilation and assess their effectiveness. It will not look at the design of fume hoods themselves. Information derived from the CFD models will be the basis of design guidelines for controlling ventilation performance, maximizing local containment, and minimizing the risk of contaminant dispersion within a laboratory.
