Self-regulating filtration system for weld smoke

1. A process for filtering welding smoke, comprising:

drawing welding smoke with a fan into an air passage and through a filter coupled to said air passage;

reducing particulate matter in said welding smoke;

measuring a static pressure on an outlet side of said filter;

measuring an air velocity in said air passage; and

adjusting the horsepower of the fan;

wherein:

said filter comprises filter media that exhibits a burst strength of up to 20″ w.g., an initial resistance in the range of 0.3″ w.g. to 1.5″ w.g., an air flow in the range of 1,000 cubic feet per minute to 2,500 cubic feet per minute and a removal efficiency of greater than 50% for particles having a diameter of 0.3 μm or greater; and

adjusting the horsepower of the fan is limited by a measured static pressure obtained by said measuring of said static pressure, so as to prevent bursting of said filter media.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the horsepower of said fan is based on said measuring of said air velocity in said air passage.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein measuring said static pressure is performed in said air passage between said filter and said fan.

4. The process of claim 2 , further comprising:

comparing a measured air velocity to an air velocity set point and when said measured air velocity is lower than said air velocity set point, increasing said horsepower.

5. The process of claim 4 , further comprising:

comparing said measured static pressure to a static pressure set point; and

when said measured air velocity is lower than said air velocity set point and said measured static pressure is lower than said static pressure set point, increasing said horsepower.

6. A system for ventilation of welding smoke, comprising:

an air passage configured to receive welding smoke from a welding environment, wherein said air passage has an inlet and an outlet and said inlet is positioned adjacent to said welding environment;

an air velocity sensor coupled to said air passage;

a filter coupled to said air passage;

a fan coupled to said air passage, the fan configured to draw said welding smoke into said air passage and through said filter;

an air static pressure gauge coupled to said air passage on an outlet side of said filter; and

a controller coupled to said air velocity sensor, said static pressure sensor, and said fan;

wherein:

said filter comprises filter media that exhibits a burst strength of up to 20″ w.g., an initial resistance in the range of 0.3″ w.g. to 1.5″ w.g., an air flow in the range of 1,000 cubic feet per minute to 2,500 cubic feet per minute and a removal efficiency of greater than 50% for particles having a diameter of 0.3 μm or greater;

said controller is to adjust the horsepower of the fan; and

said controller is further to limit the adjustment of the horsepower of said fan based on a static pressure measurement taken by said air static pressure gauge, so as to prevent bursting of said filter media.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said filter exhibits a filtration efficiency of at least MERV 13.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein said filter includes a first and second layer, wherein said filter traps particulates of relatively high particles sizes in a first layer and relatively lower particles sizes in a second layer.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein said controller is further to adjust the horsepower of said fan based on a measurement provided by said air velocity sensor.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the measurement provided by the air velocity sensory is a measured air velocity;

the controller is further configured to compare the measured air velocity to an air velocity set point; and

when the measured air velocity is lower than said air velocity set point, the controller increases the horsepower of said fan.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein:

said air velocity sensor is further coupled to said air passage between said filter and said fan.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein said controller is further configured to:

compare a measured static pressure provided by said air static pressure gauge to a static pressure set point; and

increase said horsepower when said measured air velocity is lower than said air velocity set point and said measured static pressure is lower than said static pressure set point.

13. The system of claim 6 , wherein said air passage inlet includes a hood.

14. The process of claim 5 , wherein said static pressure set point is less than or equal to the burst strength of said filter media.

15. The process of claim 14 , further comprising:

preventing an increase to said horsepower when said measured static pressure is greater than or equal to said static pressure setpoint.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein said static pressure set point is less than equal to the burst strength of said filter media.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to prevent an increase to said horsepower when said measured static pressure is greater than or equal to said static pressure set point.