Experimental investigation into the interaction between the human body and room airflow and its effect on thermal comfort under stratum ventilation

Room occupants' comfort and health are affected by the airflow. Nevertheless, they themselves also play an important role in indoor air distribution. This study investigated the interaction between the human body and room airflow under stratum ventilation. Simplified thermal manikin was employed to effectively resemble the human body as a flow obstacle and/or free convective heat source. Unheated and heated manikins were designed to fully evaluate the impact of the manikin at various airflow rates. Additionally, subjective human tests were conducted to evaluate thermal comfort for the occupants in two rows. The findings show that the manikin formed a local blockage effect, but the supply airflow could flow over it. With the body heat from the manikin, the air jet penetrated farther compared with that for the unheated manikin. The temperature downstream of the manikin was also higher because of the convective effect. Elevating the supply airflow rate from 7 to 15 air changes per hour varied the downstream airflow pattern dramatically, from an uprising flow induced by body heat to a jet‐dominated flow. Subjective assessments indicated that stratum ventilation provided thermal comfort for the occupants in both rows. Therefore, stratum ventilation could be applied in rooms with occupants in multiple rows.     

Impact of psycho-social factors on perception of the indoor air environment studies in 12 office buildings

The main function of a mechanically ventilated office building is to provide a healthy and comfortable working environment for occupants, while maintaining minimum energy consumption. Twelve mechanically ventilated buildings were selected. They varied greatly in surface area, number of floors, occupant density, and building use. The indoor air quality, thermal comfort, energy consumption, and perception of occupants were investigated in these buildings. A total of 877 subjects participated in the questionnaire survey during the hot summer months of June, July, and August, and during the cold winter months of January, February, and March. The questions included in the questionnaire dealt with health, environmental sensitivity, work area satisfaction, personal control of the workstations environment, and job satisfaction. Measured parameters concerning the quality of indoor air included ventilation rate, concentration of TVOC, CO₂, CO, RH, and formaldehyde. The thermal comfort parameters included room air, mean radiant, plane radiant asymmetry, and dew point temperatures, as well as air velocity and turbulence intensity. Monthly energy consumption data was also gathered for each building. Ventilation performance, in terms of air flow rate and indoor air quality, was compared with the ASHRAE Standard 62-89R (Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality. Atlanta: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc. U.S.A. [1]). The measured and calculated thermal environmental results were also compared with the ASHRAE Standard 55-92 (Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy. Atlanta: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc. U.S.A. [2]). CO₂ and CO levels satisfied the recommended limits. The outdoor airflow rate was half that recommended in only one building. The formaldehyde and TVOC levels were moderately higher than suggested comfort levels. However, more than 56% of the occupants rated dissatisfaction with the indoor air quality. Only 63% of the indoor climatic observations fell within the ASHRAE Standard 55-92 summer comfort zone; 27% in the winter. However, only 69% of those surveyed agreed with the comfort zones. More symptoms were reported by workers who perceived IAQ to be poor. Positive relationships were observed between the job satisfaction and satisfaction with office air quality, ventilation, work area temperature, and ratings of work area environment. However, job dissatisfaction did not correlate with symptom reports. The occupants were more dissatisfied with IAQ when they preferred more air movement. In other words, the higher the perceived air movement, the greater the satisfaction with IAQ.     

Airflow modelling in a computer room

This study concerns the numerical simulation of airflow and the prediction of comfort properties in a visualisation room of a research centre. Because simulation accuracy depends on the modelling level, special care has been given to fine details. Particular interest has been concentrated on the four-way ceiling air supply diffuser, on the furniture and on the thermal conditions given on computers and on mannequins.

The geometric model was created using the parametric features of the pre-processor Gambit, in combination with elements created with the Rhinoceros NURBS modelling tool.

Mass, momentum, energy, turbulence, species and radiation conservation equations were solved using Fluent commercial flow solver. Computed airflow and heat transfer parameters were used for numerical prediction of indoor air quality quantities based on ISO 7730. Basic parameters included air temperature, relative humidity and air velocity. These were combined with clothing insulation and metabolic activity measures to obtain standard IAQ indices such as the mean age of air, the predicted mean vote and the predicted percentage of dissatisfied room occupants.

Post-processing was carried out with standard Fluent elements and also using Vu, a multi-platform tool which also allows data to be displayed in the Cave immersive environment.     

Evaluation of simplified ventilation system with direct air supply through the facade in a school in a cold climate

Many educational buildings in industrialised countries have poor indoor climate, according to today’s knowledge about the impact of indoor climate on well-being and productivity. Budget restrictions and practical limitations such as lack of space for central air handling units and ventilation ducts, have motivated the application of simplified ventilation systems in some schools, such as taking unconditioned supply air directly from the facade. One such school was recently evaluated in Norway.On cold days, thermal comfort in the classroom deteriorated due to cold downdraught from the supply outlet. In addition, moist and fertile conditions for microbiological growth were observed in the air supply ductwork. On the other hand the same pupils are more satisfied with the school and have less sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms during winter than summer. An improved control strategy with a temperature-compensated CO₂ set-point for controlling the airflow is suggested. This could improve thermal comfort and reduce energy use without compromising perceived air quality (PAQ) during cold weather. Furthermore it could improve indoor air quality (IAQ) during warm weather with only a slight increase of energy use. Further evaluation of an improved solution is needed before such a ventilation concept can be recommended in cold climates.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of a hybrid fresh air and recirculated air diffuser for decoupled ventilation strategy

In conventional mixing ventilation air conditioning system, fresh air which has been polluted by recirculated air is supplied to occupied zone. Therefore, more fresh air which results in energy penalty needs to be supplied in order to keep good indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort. Some alternatives such as personalized ventilation air conditioning system can address this problem effectively by supplying fresh air directly into occupied zone. However, room layouts and visual effects will be influenced deeply because of extended air ducts. A new approach supplying fresh air directly by utilizing high velocity circular air jet without mixing with recirculated air is introduced. Objective measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool are used to evaluate corresponding indoor parameters to verify that it can both supply fresh air into occupied zone effectively and avoid draught rating.     

Literature survey on how different factors influence human comfort in indoor environments

The present paper shows the results of a literature survey aimed at exploring how the indoor environment in buildings affects human comfort. The survey was made to gather data that can be useful when new concepts of controlling the indoor environment are developed. The following indoor environmental conditions influencing comfort in the built environment were surveyed: thermal, visual and acoustic, as well as air quality. The literature was surveyed to determine which of these conditions were ranked by building users as being the most important determinants of comfort. The survey also examined the extent to which other factors unrelated to the indoor environment, such as individual characteristics of building occupants, building-related factors and outdoor climate including seasonal changes, influence whether the indoor environment is evaluated as comfortable or not. The results suggest that when developing systems for controlling the indoor environment, the type of building and outdoor climate, including season, should be taken into account. Providing occupants with the possibility to control the indoor environment improves thermal and visual comfort as well as satisfaction with the air quality. Thermal comfort is ranked by building occupants to be of greater importance compared with visual and acoustic comfort and good air quality. It also seems to influence to a higher degree the overall satisfaction with indoor environmental quality compared with the impact of other indoor environmental conditions.     

套室内人体热舒适的研究

借助于通用流场计算软件PHOENICS，在考虑了外界气温、太阳的热辐射条件，家具以及人员等室内微气候影响的情况下，预测了两室一厅套室内气流三维流场和温度场。得到了套室内气流的速度、温度和人体热舒适指数等参数的分布，并经过评定，该套室内的热环境达到了人体的舒适性要求。模拟计算结果对套室的设计及其空调系统的配置具有重要的参考价值，并为套室内人体热舒适的进一步研究和室内空气品质问题的研究奠定了基础。     

Ventilation and energy performance of partitioned indoor spaces under mixing and displacement ventilation

Large variation in indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort can occur in partitioned office spaces due to heterogeneous air mixing. However, few published studies examined IAQ, thermal comfort, and energy performance of partitioned occupied spaces, which are commonly found in today’s buildings. The objective of this study is to evaluate indoor environmental quality and air conditioning performance of a partitioned room under two typical ventilation modes: (1) mixing ventilation and (2) displacement ventilation. For a total of six representative air-conditioning scenarios, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed to examine temperature distribution, ventilation effectiveness, energy consumption, and local thermal comfort for two partitioned spaces. Simulation results indicate that temperature distribution in a partitioned room is a strong function of ventilation strategy (mixing vs. displacement), but marginally affected by diffuser arrangements. Local age-of-air (air freshness) significantly varies with both diffuser arrangement and ventilation strategy. Regarding energy consumption, displacement ventilation can achieve an indoor set-point temperature in the partitioned spaces about two times faster than mixing ventilation. Under mixing ventilation, the time to achieve a set-point temperature was notably reduced when each partitioned space is served by its own diffuser. For the same supply airflow rate, displacement ventilation can generate local draft risk at ankle level, while mixing ventilation may result in a draft sensation in wider areas around an occupant. Overall, the results suggest that mixing ventilation system can save energy if each partitioned zone is served by its own diffuser such as a multi-split air conditioning. However, when multiple partitioned zones are served by only one diffuser, displacement ventilation is more energy-efficient and can achieve higher ventilation effectiveness than mixing ventilation.     

Thermal comfort and IAQ characteristics of naturally/mechanically ventilated and air-conditioned bedrooms in a hot and humid climate

The characteristics of thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) in bedrooms, occupants’ perceptions and their impact on sleep quality are not often studied. It becomes even more interesting if climatic conditions allow Naturally/Mechanically Ventilated (NMV) concepts as opposed to Air-conditioning (AC) and this becomes very significant from an energy perspective. This paper reports our findings from such a study conducted in a hot and humid climate. Objective measurements of thermal comfort and IAQ were carried out during sleeping period in 12 NMV and 12 AC bedrooms over a period of 2 months. Questionnaire responses were sought from each subject at the end of the objective measurements to assess their perceptions on thermal comfort and indoor air quality of the bedrooms during sleep and their sleeping conditions. Although the “Historical” and “Immediate” responses for the NMV and AC bedrooms indicate that there was a good level of acceptability for both Thermal Comfort and Perceived Air Quality (PAQ), it was found that NMV bedroom was a better sleeping environment. The subjects’ immediate perception of PAQ and thermal comfort were reasonably correlated with their historical perceptions. The subjects’ perception of PAQ was fairly closely correlated to their perception of Thermal Comfort. There was a considerable increase in the carbon dioxide level in an AC bedroom relative to a NMV bedroom. However, there was no clear evidence to substantiate that sleeping duration decreased with increasing level of carbon dioxide, but the findings do suggest that high level of carbon dioxide may hinder the duration of sleep.     

对热舒适、空气感觉质量及能耗的模拟研究

室内空调设计温度和新风量对热舒适，室内空气质量及能耗量有重要影响，然而对它们之间相互关系进行研究的文献却较少。通过计算机模拟空调系统在7种室内设计温度和7种新风量条件下的运行情况，得到不同的设计条件组合对热舒适、人体感觉空气质量及建筑能耗量的影响。基于这项分析，提出了此办公建筑合理的室内设计温度和新风量取值。     

Numerical investigation of local thermal discomfort in offices with displacement ventilation

Local thermal discomfort in offices with displacement ventilation is investigated using computational fluid dynamics. The standard κ-ϵ turbulence model is used for the prediction of indoor air flow patterns, temperature and moisture distributions, taking account of heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation. The thermal comfort level and draught risk are predicted by incorporating Fanger's comfort equations in the airflow model. It has been found that for sedentary occupants with summer clothing common complaints of discomfort in offices ventilated with displacement systems result more often from an unsatisfactory thermal sensation level than from draught alone. It is shown that thermal discomfort in the displacement-ventilated offices can be avoided by optimizing the supply air velocity and temperature. It is also shown that optimal supply air conditions of a displacement system depend on the distance between the occupant and air diffuser.     

Comfort and airflow evaluation in spaces equipped with mixing ventilation and cold radiant floor

In this work the comfort and airflow were evaluated for spaces equipped with mixing ventilation and cold radiant floor. In this study the coupling of an integral multi-nodal human thermal comfort model with a computational fluid dynamics model is developed. The coupling incorporates the predicted mean vote (PMV) index, for the heat exchange between the body and the environment, with the ventilation effectiveness to obtain the air distribution index (ADI) for the occupied spaces with non-uniform environments. The integral multi-nodal human thermal comfort model predicts the external skin and clothing surfaces temperatures and the thermal comfort level, while the computational fluid dynamics model evaluates the airflow around the occupants. The air distribution index, that was developed in the last years for uniform environments, has been extended and implemented for non-uniform thermal environments. The airflow inside a virtual chamber equipped with two occupants seated in a classroom desk, is promoted by a mixing ventilation system with supply air of 28 °C and by a cold radiant floor with a surface temperature of 19 °C. The mechanical mixing ventilation system uses a supply and an exhaust diffusers located above the head level on adjacent walls.     

A combined system of chilled ceiling,displacement ventilation and desiccant dehumidification

Different types of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems consume different amounts of energy yet they deliver similar levels of acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort. It is desirable to provide buildings with an optimal HVAC system to create the best IAQ and thermal comfort with minimum energy consumption. In this paper, a combined system of chilled ceiling, displacement ventilation and desiccant dehumidification is designed and applied for space conditioning in a hot and humid climate. IAQ, thermal comfort, and energy saving potential of the combined system are estimated using a mathematical model of the system described in this paper. To confirm the feasibility of the combined system in a hot and humid climate, like China, and to evaluate the system performance, the mathematical model simulates an office building in Beijing and estimates IAQ, thermal comfort and energy consumption. We conclude that in comparison with a conventional all-air system the combined system saves 8.2% of total primary energy consumption in addition to achieving better IAQ and thermal comfort. Chilled ceiling, displacement ventilation and desiccant dehumidification respond consistently to cooling source demand and complement each other on indoor comfort and air quality. It is feasible to combine the three technologies for space conditioning of office building in a hot and humid climate.     

The Influence of Office Furniture,Workstation Layouts,Diffuser Types and Location on Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort Conditions at Workstations

Abstract Many factors affect the airflow patterns, contaminant removal efficiency and the indoor air quality at individual workstations in office buildings. The effects of office furniture design and workstation layouts on ventilation performance, contaminant removal efficiency and thermal comfort conditions at workstations were studied. The range of furniture configurations and environmental parameters investigated included: 1) partition heights, 2) partition gap size, 3) diffuser types, 4) supply air diffuser location relative to the workstation, 5) return air grill location relative to the workstation, 6) heat source locations, 7) presence of furniture, 8) supply air temperatures, 9) adjacent workstations, 10) contaminant source locations, 11) supply air flow rates, and 12) outdoor air flow rates. The tracer gas technique was used to study experimentally the relative impact of these parameters on the air distribution and ventilation performance, as well as contaminant removal efficiency. Thermal environmental parameters such as air velocity and temperature were monitored at several locations to characterize the impact of these parameters on the thermal comfort conditions. The results showed that the outdoor air flow rate had a significant influence on the mean age of air. The air distributions at all the workstations were good even when the supply air flow rate was relatively low (i.e 5 L/s). At the same time, most of the parameters tested had a significant influence on contaminant removal efficiency when there was a contaminant source present somewhere in the office.     

个性化送风微环境的实验测试研究

通过对人体模型测试和示踪气体测量，研究了一种个性化送风系统中风速、风温和污染物浓度随送风参数的变化状况，并预测了此系统微环境(人员呼吸区)中空气参数的改变程度。结果表明，个性化送风的灵活控制有助于改善局部热环境和空气品质，且呼吸区空气品质的改善程度与送风量、送风距离和人体周围的热羽流均紧密相关。     

Effect of internal partitions on the performance of under floor air supply ventilation in a typical office environment

This paper presents a case to investigate the effect of partitions in an office on the performance of under floor air supply ventilation system via computational fluid dynamics. The assessment is in terms of thermal comfort and indoor air quality with the use of a validated computer model. The results indicate that the partitions may significantly affect airflow and performance of a under floor air supply ventilation system. In particular, the presence of a gap above the partition wall is able to improve air distribution owing to less air re-circulation in the upper zone. Its effect on thermal comfort and indoor air quality indicators are evaluated.     

Inverse design methods for indoor ventilation systems using CFD-based multi-objective genetic algorithm

Conventional designers typically count on thermal equilibrium and require ventilation rates of a space to design ventilation systems for the space. This design, however, may not provide a conformable and healthy micro-environment for each occupant due to the non-uniformity in airflow, temperature and ventilation effectiveness as well as potential conflicts in thermal comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy consumption. This study proposes two new design methods: the constraint method and the optimization method, by using advanced simulation techniques—computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). Using predicted mean vote (PMV), percentage dissatisfied of draft (PD) and age of air around occupants as the design goals, the simulations predict the performance curves for the three indices that can thus determine the optimal solutions. A simple 2D office and a 3D aircraft cabin were evaluated, as demonstrations, which reveal both methods have superior performance in system design. The optimization method provides more accurate results while the constraint method needs less computation efforts.     

Analysis of thermal comfort and indoor air quality in a mechanically ventilated theatre

Theatres are the most complex of all auditorium structures environmentally. They usually have high heat loads, which are of a transient nature as audiences come and go, and from lighting which changes from scene to scene, and they generally have full or nearly full occupancy. Theatres also need to perform well acoustically, both for the spoken word and for music, and as sound amplification is less used than in other auditoria, background noise control is critically important. All these factors place constraints on the ventilation design, and if this is poor, it can lead to the deterioration of indoor air quality and thermal comfort. To analyse the level of indoor air quality and thermal comfort in a typical medium-sized mechanically ventilated theatre, and to identify where improvements could typically be made, a comprehensive post-occupancy evaluation study was carried out on a theatre in Belgrade. The evaluation, based on the results of monitoring (temperature, relative humidity, CO₂, air speed and heat flux) and modelling (CFD), as well as the assessment of comfort and health as perceived by occupants, has shown that for most of the monitored period the environmental parameters were within the standard limits of thermal comfort and IAQ. However, two important issues were identified, which should be borne in mind by theatre designers in the future. First, the calculated ventilation rates showed that the theatre was over-ventilated, which will have serious consequences for its energy consumption, and secondly, the displacement ventilation arrangement employed led to higher than expected complaints of cold discomfort, probably due to cold draughts around the occupants’ feet.     

下送上回通风方式供冷与供暖运行性能比较

下送上回通风方式目前得到了广泛的研究应用,其供冷运行时就是置换通风,但同样一套通风系统在一些地区的寒冷季节则有可能需要作供暖运行.为了获得下送上回通风系统在分别作供冷与供暖运行时的具体性能参数,本文应用实验测试与计算流体力学(CFD)模拟的方法研究了置于环境实验室内的某办公环境.研究中分析比较了该办公环境内的空气速度、温度以及追踪气体污染物的浓度分布.研究结果表明,下送上回通风方式作供冷运行时空气温度及污染物浓度分层现象明显,空气处于半混合状态,置换效果较好;作供暖运行时,温度及污染物浓度趋于均匀,通风系统性能接近于混合送风系统,不具备良好的抑制交叉污染的能力.     

Multi-objective optimization of impinging jet ventilation systems: Taguchi-based CFD method

This paper presents a Taguchi method-based approach that can optimize the operating performance of impinging jet ventilation (IJV) systems with limited computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results. The Taguchi optimization calculation finds the best operating design for the weighted overall objective function as a presenter of the multi-objective function problem. The method is used to optimize the operating characteristics of an IJV system considering the factors of supply air temperature, level of the return air vent and percentage of the air exhausted through the ceiling to achieve an overall best performance of thermal comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ) and system energy performance as the objective functions. The study indicates the contribution percentage for each factor in each objective function. The level of the return air vent, the supply air temperature, and the percentage of air exhausted through the ceiling have a contribution of 35.8%, 28.5%, and 35.8% in the objective functions, respectively. Based on the results, the best performance of the IJV system happens when the inlet air temperature is 18 °C, the height of the return air vent is 2 m above the floor, and the percentage of air exhausted through the ceiling is 22.5%.