Every hydrocarbon or ethanol extraction room has to move a code-minimum volume of air, continuously, with the intake low and an alarm that boosts the fan before a leak reaches a quarter of the lower explosive limit. This calculator takes the room dimensions, the solvent, and the solvent inventory and returns the exhaust CFM, the air changes per hour, the alarm point in ppm, a worst-case release check, and the installed cost range, using the same figures as the C1D1 room requirements guide and the CO2 extraction room design guide. It is a planning estimate; the engineer of record and the AHJ set the final number.

C1D1 Ventilation Calculator

Room dimensions, extraction solvent, and solvent inventory in, then: minimum exhaust CFM, air changes per hour, design target, alarm point in ppm, worst-case release check, and an installed-cost range.

Room length (ft)

Room width (ft)

Ceiling height (ft)

Extraction solvent

Solvent inventory in the room

Pounds of liquefied gas in the room (tank plus system charge).

Design margin over code minimum

Enter the room and solvent, then calculate.

Sizing is the easy half. Placement, interlocks, makeup air, and the inspection walkthrough are in the
C1D1 room requirements guide,
the C1D1 vs C1D2 classification guide,
and the CO2 room design guide.
Building one? Talk to WKU Consulting before the drawings go to the fire marshal.

Planning estimate only. The code minimum (1 CFM per square foot, continuous, IFC 5005 / NFPA 1 Ch. 38) is the floor most AHJs apply; your jurisdiction, occupancy, and engineer of record govern. Cost ranges are 2026 installed figures from WKU lab builds and vary by region.

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Copy and paste this code into any page. The calculator stays current as WKU updates the code figures; the attribution link must remain.