An effective ventilation system for preventing indoor PM2.5 dispersion

Abstract

Korean public housing ventilation systems mainly use natural ventilation and local exhausts. When a local exhaust is operated in a narrow space such as a kitchen, the air pressure loss can lack balance. A decrease in hood capture efficiency and ventilation effectiveness causes the problem that people in the living room can be exposed to PM2.5 generated by cooking. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an effective ventilation strategy for the local exhaust, considering the make-up air supply. In this study, a ventilation system that integrates the range hood and ventilation systems (e.g., heat recovery equipment and auxiliary air supply) was developed to resolve this issue. Multi point measurement was conducted using five low-cost sensors to determine the location of the sensors in the kitchen and living room. TSI-DustTrak 8532 and OPS3330 were performed with different ventilation system operating types. When the range hood was operated for one hour, the concentrations in the kitchen and living room were significantly high; 676 μg/m3 and 373 μg/m3, respectively. After the integrated operating algorithm was installed, the kitchen concentration was 185 μg/m3, and the living room concentration was 68 μg/m3. With an additional flow rate of 50 CMH through Heat recovery ventilator (HRV) the reduction in the concentration of PM2.5 was more effective. As a result, this advanced system was able to remove up to 60% of PM2.5 generated by cooking. The integrated system of the auxiliary air supply and range hood was evaluated to be effective in preventing the distribution of kitchen pollutants.