Air is supplied to the Clean Room Suite (CRS) through a dedicated Air Handling System. Fresh air is initially filtered through two sets of pre-filters (20% efficient panel filters and 90-95% efficient cartridge filters). It is then conditioned and passes through a set of charcoal filters to remove VOC's. The air is then distributed to the various rooms in the CRS. The final stage of filtration in each area of the CRS is with ULPA Filters. ULPA Filters remove 99.9995% of particles 0.12 microns and larger in size. The CRS is continuously supplied with a constant volume of treated air (approximately 13000 CFM). A variable speed drive powers the fan to compensate for changes in filter loading and atmospheric conditions (ambient air temperature and humidity). This system is necessary to maintain proper relative pressurizations in each room.
The air supplied to the CRS is used just one time. This is done to eliminate corrosion of various components which would be caused by the accumulation of acid fumes. In an effort to improve efficiency, approximately 50% of the CRS exhaust is used to supply air for the many HEPA Filtered Laminar Flow Exhausting Hoods. HEPA Filters remove 99.99% of particles 0.3 microns and larger in size. This combination of ULPA and then HEPA filtering produces nearly Class 1 conditions inside the hoods while at rest.