M. Robinson

10 – LOCAL VENTILATION

This chapter describes the aerodynamic principles, models, and equations that govern the flow and the contaminant presence and transport in a designated volume of a workroom. Local ventilation is often a very important part of the ventilation system, both in function and in construction. By using a local ventilation system of good design less air is needed to reach a specific contaminant level than is possible with general ventilation. Proper design and construction of a local ventilation system must account for hood flow rate, contaminant generation process and rate, and the generated flow rate of contaminated air. Thus, knowledge about airflow mechanics, process performance, and the contaminant source is essential. The purpose of local ventilation is to control the transport of contaminants at or near the source of emission, thus minimizing the contaminants in the workplace air. All local ventilation systems can, in principle, be manufactured for use in one or more of three different modes: fixed, flexible, and mobile.

The role of informal learning spaces in enhancing student engagement with mathematical sciences

ABSTRACT By helping create a shared, supportive, learning community, the creative use of custom-designed spaces outside the classroom has a major impact on student engagement. The intention is to create spaces that promote peer interaction within and across year groups, encourage closer working relationships between staff and students and support specific coursework activities – particularly group work. Such spaces make better use of time since students are motivated to stay and work during long gaps in their timetable, can provide a sense of ‘home’ within the institution and can lead to a cohesive community of practice. In this paper, we describe how this has been achieved and currently delivered in Mathematics at Sheffield Hallam University and provide some detailed analysis of the student usage of the space.