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Title: Air exchange effectiveness of conventional and task ventilation for offices

Abstract

Air quality and comfort complaints within large buildings are often attributed to air distribution problems. We define three air exchange effectiveness parameters related to air distribution. The first two indicate the indoor air flow pattern (i.e., the extent of short circuiting, mixing, or displacement flow) for an entire building or region. The third parameter is most useful for assessments of the spatial variability of ventilation. We also define the air diffusion effectiveness which indicates the air flow pattern within specific rooms or sections of buildings. The results of measurements of these parameters in US office buildings by the authors and other researchers are reviewed. Almost all measurements indicate very limited short circuiting or displacement flow between locations of air supply and removal. However, a moderate degree of short circuiting is evident from a few measurements in rooms with heated supply air. The results of laboratory-based measurements by the authors are consistent with the field data. Our measurements in office buildings do indicate that ventilation rates can vary substantially between indoor locations, probably due to variation in air supply rates between locations rather than variation in the indoor air flow patterns. One possible method of improving air distribution is to employmore » task ventilation with air supplied closer to the occupant's breathing zone. We have evaluated two task ventilation systems in a laboratory setting. During most operating conditions, these systems did not provide a region of substantially increased ventilation where occupants breath. However, both systems are capable of providing substantially enhanced ventilation at the breathing zone under some operating conditions. Therefore, task ventilation is a potential option for using ventilation air more effectively.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; CAIEE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); California Inst. for Energy Efficiency, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
5754057
Report Number(s):
LBL-31652; CONF-910979-1
ON: DE92008291
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: IAQ '91: healthy buildings, Washington, DC (United States), 4-8 Sep 1991
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; AIR FLOW; EVALUATION; OFFICE BUILDINGS; VENTILATION; AIR QUALITY; INDOOR AIR POLLUTION; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; VENTILATION BARRIERS; VENTILATION SYSTEMS; WORKING CONDITIONS; AIR POLLUTION; BUILDINGS; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; FLUID FLOW; GAS FLOW; POLLUTION; 320107* - Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization- Building Systems- (1987-)

Citation Formats

Fisk, W J, Faulkner, D, and Prill, R J. Air exchange effectiveness of conventional and task ventilation for offices. United States: N. p., 1991. Web.
Fisk, W J, Faulkner, D, & Prill, R J. Air exchange effectiveness of conventional and task ventilation for offices. United States.
Fisk, W J, Faulkner, D, and Prill, R J. 1991. "Air exchange effectiveness of conventional and task ventilation for offices". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5754057.
@article{osti_5754057,
title = {Air exchange effectiveness of conventional and task ventilation for offices},
author = {Fisk, W J and Faulkner, D and Prill, R J},
abstractNote = {Air quality and comfort complaints within large buildings are often attributed to air distribution problems. We define three air exchange effectiveness parameters related to air distribution. The first two indicate the indoor air flow pattern (i.e., the extent of short circuiting, mixing, or displacement flow) for an entire building or region. The third parameter is most useful for assessments of the spatial variability of ventilation. We also define the air diffusion effectiveness which indicates the air flow pattern within specific rooms or sections of buildings. The results of measurements of these parameters in US office buildings by the authors and other researchers are reviewed. Almost all measurements indicate very limited short circuiting or displacement flow between locations of air supply and removal. However, a moderate degree of short circuiting is evident from a few measurements in rooms with heated supply air. The results of laboratory-based measurements by the authors are consistent with the field data. Our measurements in office buildings do indicate that ventilation rates can vary substantially between indoor locations, probably due to variation in air supply rates between locations rather than variation in the indoor air flow patterns. One possible method of improving air distribution is to employ task ventilation with air supplied closer to the occupant's breathing zone. We have evaluated two task ventilation systems in a laboratory setting. During most operating conditions, these systems did not provide a region of substantially increased ventilation where occupants breath. However, both systems are capable of providing substantially enhanced ventilation at the breathing zone under some operating conditions. Therefore, task ventilation is a potential option for using ventilation air more effectively.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5754057}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1991},
month = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1991}
}

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