vehicle exhaust extraction and dust extraction from C-air Systems 

AES Home Page	Incorporating Vehicle Exhaust Extraction
	Running petrol and diesel engined vehicles for long periods inside the confines of a repair garage or workshop is both dangerous and in contravention of good Health & Safety practice. Harmful emissions can quickly build up in the workplace and create a potentially lethal cocktail of pollutants. Even with catalysts fitted to most modern cars, these are ineffective until the engine has attained its normal working temperature. During the warm up period, which can be 10 to 15 minutes, the effect can be to actually increase the noxious nature of the fumes from the exhaust. A vehicle exhaust extraction system, utilising special exhaust hose and nozzles, which can be attached directly to the exhaust pipes of the stationary running vehicles, is the accepted solution to this problem and is widely regarded as an essential facility in every vehicle workshop or any other enclosed location where vehicles are run for prolonged periods. C-air Systems Ltd is a specialist company engaged in the design and installation of vehicle exhaust extraction systems for clients throughout the UK. Experienced C-air sales personnel are on hand to visit the site and advise on the various alternative methods of providing a system and prepare a detailed quotation. Special care should be taken where vehicles are running under load e.g. dynamometer applications. C-air Systems has many years of valuable experience in tackling the very high temperatures encountered in these situations. Exhaust extraction Systems come in many shapes and sizes to suit the multitude of applications they serve. Every system has an extraction fan and galvanised steel ducting, linking it to each extraction point but the final connection to the vehicle may then be made in several ways:     Vehicle Exhaust Hose Reels Spring recoil or motor driven with either remote or pendant control, exhaust hose reels carry a length of exhaust hose on a drum, fixed at high level, which can be unwound when required and attached to the vehicle exhaust using an exhaust nozzle. Sizes available range from 75mm to 150mm dia. in lengths up to 10 metres (12.5 metres max. with an extension). When not in use, the hose is rewound onto the reel leaving floors clear of obstruction, a benefit which further improves health and safety in the workshop. Vehicle exhaust hose reels are the 'classic solution' to exhaust extraction provision. Fixed and Suspended Drops Perhaps the simplest and least expensive option, fixed drops are made from galvanised steel duct, which connects into the main line duct at high level and then terminates at approximately 1.5 metre level on a wall, column, or more usually, to the leg of a Vehicle lift. A flexible exhaust hose is then attached to the bottom of the fixed drop, either permanently or via a quick release coupling, which allows the same and/or diffrent hoses to be shared between different extraction points. Suspended Flexible Drops are similar in many ways to fixed drops except that a flexible connection is made at the top of the duct where it meets the main line permitting the drop to swing when moved. A hose is then attached to the point via a quick release coupling at the bottom of the drop. Suspended flexible drops are particulary useful in workshops where there is an open area to cover and there are no fixtures available on which to secure fixed drops. A popular variation of the suspended flexible drop is the addition of a hose retraction facility using a balance block assembly with ratchet. The exhaust hose is connected permanently to the drop, at a slightly higher level than when using a coupling, and then a halter, secured around the hose, is attached to the cord of the balance block, which when released, lifts the hose vertically, forming a neat loop well clear of the floor and ideally allowing sufficient clearance for moving vehicles to pass underneath.       Vehicle Exhaust Rails Exhaust rails differ from other systems in that they are designed to allow movement of a vehicle whilst attached to the extraction hose. The exhaust rail is a hollow section aluminium extrusion, open along the bottom but sealed by two rubber lips which form a closed slot. A moveable carriage or crab moves along the rail and via a fish tall spigot, which slides inside the rubber, discharges the exhaust gases from the vehicle into the system. Fixed duct work is connected to either the end of, or part way along the rail, which in turn links up with the extraction fan and thereafter to the atmosphere. Exhaust rail systems can accommodate one or more crabs and can be either straight rails of up to 100 metres in length or with the addition of a non suction return rail form a fixed loop joining the two ends together, enabling carriages to be returned to the start whilst others are in use on the straight section. Underfloor Exhaust Extraction Systems In new workshops, underfloor extraction systems have undoubtedly been popular for many years. The simplest of these involves a system of duct work, laid at the time of building, incorporating floorplates, with self sealing lids, positioned adjacent to each working bay. A crushproof exhaust hose and nozzle is attached to the vehicle being run and the other end is inserted into the nearest floor plate. When not in use hoses are stowed, above ground, on suitable brackets. A more practical system, suitable for car workshops only, is the underfloor stowage system which, as its name suggests, allows up to 3 metres of small bore exhaust hose and a nozzle to be stowed in the system ductwork at each extraction point. The underfloor ductwork layout is more complex than the simple system and there are limitations in terms of hose length and size which can be successfully stowed, but this system has found favour with a number of clients keen on keeping their workshops as clear of equipment as possible. Dynamometer and High Temperature Systems The extreme nature of the problems encountered with dynamometers and loaded engines means that there is no standard 'off the shelf' system available which will satisfy every application in this category. Suffice to say that each system must be designed from first principles to accommodate the anticipated exhaust volumes, exhaust gas temperature, ambient conditions and the precise nature of the tests being carried out on the vehicle/engine. C-air Systems have successfully completed numerous projects of this type and welcome enquiries which call upon their expertise and experience.   Emergency Vehicle Exhaust Extraction Systems Fire appliances, ambulances and standby utility vehicles are all housed in dedicated accommodation which is sensitive to exhaust smoke generated by vehicles leaving the premises in a hurry! Nederman have developed a number of specialist exhaust extraction systems for this specific application. Installed in say the appliance room of a fire station, the system is designed to be left attached to the fire engine ready for its hasty exit. The system activates automatically when needed and the hose and nozzle travels with the vehicle until it has almost cleared the doors, at which point the nozzle automatically detaches itself from the exhaust and the vehicle continues on its way. There are three main types of system available: Magnatrack Suitable for most vehicles with a side or rear mounted exhausts, parked in their own dedicated bays. The system has a unique electromagnetic nozzle release mechanism and the track can be up to 21 metres in length. Magnarail A system for two vehicles parked in tandem in the same bay with side or rear mounted exhausts, alternatively, with one suction carriage, can be used for one vehicle in a 'drive through bay'. Magnastack For Vehicles with a vertical exhaust, the Magnastack automatically locates on the vertical stack and the carrage moves along the rail as the Engine reverses in to it's bay.
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