Demand control and constant flow ventilation compared in an exhaust ventilated bedroom in a cold-climate single-family house

Abstract

ABSTRACT A convertible, zoned ventilation system was field-tested in a modern, airtight Swedish home when occupied either by an experimental team or by a family. Indoor air quality in the master bedroom was monitored under four ventilation strategies. Relative to constant air volume strategies (CAV), demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) that was responding to CO2 concentration extracted more air when people were present, but less in total over 24 h. This elevated the indoor air humidity, beneficial in climates with dry winter air. Multiple monitors within the bedroom indicated that vertical CO2 stratification occurred routinely, presumably due to low mixing of supply air from a wall-mounted diffuse vent, spreading the air radially over the wall. This seemingly improved air quality in the breathing zone under local (ceiling) extract ventilation but worsened it during more typical, centralised extract ventilation, where air escapes the room via an inner doorway. The local extract arrangement thus seemed to yield both improved ventilation efficiency and reduced contaminant spread to other rooms. The noted air quality variations within the room highlight the importance of sensor placement in demand-control ventilated spaces, even in small rooms such as bedrooms.