Modeling study of ventilation, IAQ and energy impacts of residential mechanical ventilation
This paper reports on a simulation study of indoor air quality, ventilation and energy impacts of several mechanical ventilation approaches in a single-family residential building. The study focused on a fictitious two-story house in Spokane, Washington and employed the multizone airflow and contaminant dispersal model CONTAM. The model of the house included a number of factors related to airflow including exhaust fan and forced-air system operation, duct leakage and weather effects, as well as factors related to contaminant dispersal including adsorption/desorption of water vapor and volatile organic compounds, surface losses of particles and nitrogen dioxide, outdoor contaminant concentrations, and occupant activities. The contaminants studied include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, water vapor, fine and coarse particles, and volatile organic compounds. One-year simulations were performed for four different ventilation approaches: a base case of envelope infiltration only, passive inlet vents in combination with exhaust fan operation, an outdoor intake duct connected to the forced-air system return balanced by exhaust fan operation, and a continuously-operated exhaust fan. Results discussed include whole building air change rates, air distribution within the house, heating and cooling loads, contaminants concentrations, and occupant exposure to contaminants.
- Research Organization:
- National Inst. of Standards and Technology, Building Environment Div., Gaithersburg, MD (United States); Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 638567
- Report Number(s):
- PB-98-148737/XAB; NISTIR-6162; TRN: 82022390
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: May 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Indoor air quality in California homes with code-required mechanical ventilation
Smart Ventilation for Advanced California Homes – Single Zone Technology Task