White Paper: The Advantages Of Using An Electronically Commutated Motor (ECM) In Biosafety Cabinets

The modern Class II Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) was developed in the early 1960's as a result of the increased availability of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter technology. At the time, the motor of choice to drive the cabinet's blower was the Permanent Split Capacitor (PSC) type. The PSC motor, which is an alternating current (AC) motor, offered manufacturers an inexpensive power source whose speed could be electronically controlled to allow for airflow adjustment as the HEPA filter(s) loaded.