Experimental Investigation of the Ventilation Performance of Different Air Distribution Systems in an Office Environment—Cooling Mode

Arman Ameen,Taghi Karimipanah,Ulf Larsson,Mathias Cehlin

doi:10.3390/en12071354

Abstract

The performance of a newly designed corner impinging jet air distribution method with an equilateral triangle cross section was evaluated experimentally and compared to that of two more traditional methods (mixing and displacement ventilation). At nine evenly chosen positions with four standard vertical points, air velocity, turbulence intensity, temperature, and tracer gas decay measurements were conducted for all systems. The results show that the new method behaves as a displacement ventilation system, with high air change effectiveness and stratified flow pattern and temperature field. Both local air change effectiveness and air exchange effectiveness of the corner impinging jet showed high quality and promising results, which is a good indicator of ventilation effectiveness. The results also indicate that there is a possibility to slightly lower the airflow rates for the new air distribution system, while still meeting the requirements for thermal comfort and indoor air quality, thereby reducing fan energy usage. The draught rate was also lower for corner impinging jet compared to the other tested air distribution methods. The findings of this research show that the corner impinging jet method can be used for office ventilation.

Highlights

As humans spend more time indoors than outdoors, the importance of having a good indoor environment becomes crucial when designing or renovating buildings
We found that displacement ventilation (DV) and corner impinging jet ventilation (CIJV) provided better heat removal efficiency and fresher air in the occupied areas of the room compared to corner mixing ventilation (CMV)
The findings show that the corner impinging jet air distribution system behaves very similar to the DV system and performs slightly better considering the draught rate

Summary

Introduction

As humans spend more time indoors than outdoors, the importance of having a good indoor environment becomes crucial when designing or renovating buildings. Whether we are at home, at the office, or at school, a good indoor climate is important for several reasons, such as having fresh air, maintaining a high work performance [1] and a good cognitive function [2], and complying with state and local regulations. One of the most important systems for controlling the indoor climate is the ventilation system. There are several types of air distribution systems that work in different ways. Some of these have been researched extensively, while others are still in the evaluation stage

Methods

Results

Conclusion