Ventilation Energy Consumption Research Articles

Enhancing building envelopes: Parametric analysis of shading systems for opaque facades and their comparison with cool paints

Heat gain through the buildings opaque facades significantly contributes to the energy consumption of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems. In the post-construction phase, retrofitting options for reducing façade heat gain are limited, with cool paints being the prevalent strategy. However, the efficacy of shading systems as an alternative strategy remains underexplored as existing research predominantly focuses on proof-of-concept validation, often overlooking a comprehensive assessment of shading system configurations across diverse climates and building typologies. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the performance and potential synergies between cool paints and shading systems on opaque facades is crucial to understand their actual effectiveness in real-world applications. To address these gaps, our study undertakes an extensive parametric simulation, taking into account variables such as shading configurations, cool paints with varying facade solar absorbance values, facade orientation, diverse climates, and different building typologies. The results demonstrate that the use of shading on opaque facades alone could result in a HVAC energy saving of 8–28 %, while the application of cool paints (façade absorptance value of 0.2) alone could reduce the HVAC energy consumption by 10–35 %. By combining the use of shading and cool paints, the HVAC energy savings are further increased by 2–5 %. The findings of this study offer a novel perspective on the selection of opaque façade technologies, broadening the sustainable design and retrofit options.

Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Energy in University Classrooms: Simplified Model to Predict Trade-Offs and Synergies

Students and educators spend significant time in learning spaces on university campuses. Energy efficiency has become a concern among facility managers, given the need to maintain acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ) levels during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper investigates the relationship between control and extraneous variables in a university classroom’s total mechanical ventilation (kWh). The model is built using Grasshopper software on Rhino Version 7. Our methodology encompasses (1) an extensive review of recent trends for studying IAQ and energy, (2) selecting parameters for simulation, (3) model configuration on Grasshopper, and finally, (4) a formulation of a pertinent equation to consolidate the relationship between the studied factors and the total mechanical ventilation energy (kWh). Central to this study are two key research questions: (1) What correlations exist between various parameters related to occupancy and IAQ in educational spaces? And (2) how can we optimize energy efficiency in university classrooms? The main contribution of this research is a generated equation representing the annual mechanical ventilation energy consumption based on selected parameters of classroom height, area, occupancy, window location, and ventilation rate of HVAC systems. We find that occupancy and class volume are the two most influential factors directly affecting mechanical ventilation energy consumption. The equation serves as a valuable estimation tool for facility managers, designers, and campus operations to investigate how fluctuations in occupancy can influence ventilation energy consumption in the physical attributes of a university classroom. This enables proactive decision-making, optimizing energy efficiency and resource allocation in real-time to promote sustainable and cost-effective campus operations.

Design–operation gap caused by parameter variance in HVAC system control sequences: A simulation-based study on energy efficiency and temperature controllability

During the design phase, the annual energy consumption of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems is frequently simplified or fixed under certain assumptions due to uncertain parameters within the control sequence, resulting in a performance gap between the intended and actual performances. This study assessed the impact of six uncertain parameters on system energy consumption and indoor temperature control under various updating scenarios. First, sensitivity analysis was conducted using the one-at-a-time method to identify the influential impact of the single uncertain parameter. Then, mutual impact analysis was conducted to showcase how different parameters affect each other, and mixed impact analysis was applied to evaluate how intended design performance converges to actual operating outcomes. A detailed physical model of a single-zone variable air volume system was developed to enable a comprehensive evaluation across different operational conditions. The results indicate that a 10% change in some parameters can lead to a 20∼30% increase in energy consumption, especially during low-load winter months. Properly evaluating the influence of one parameter is difficult without taking the effects of additional parameters into account, and some combinations of parameters can significantly decrease the system performance. These results underscore the necessity of considering the updating and combination scenarios of different parameters within the control sequences during the design phase.

Numerical analysis and improvement strategy of particulate matter concentration in underground subway stations

Particulate matter (PM) is an important air pollutant in subway systems. Exposure to high PM concentrations poses a threat to human health and raises concerns. Piston effect can provide the outdoor fresh air to subway stations through station exits, but it also brings PM from tunnels to platforms when the train enters the station. In this paper, a transient numerical model is developed according to an actual subway station and validated by field tests. The model is used to investigate PM10 concentration at platform induced by train movement. The cumulative PM10 concentration at platform in one day is calculated according to the train schedule. Platform screen door (PSD) with adjustable vents is studied to control the PM10 level at platform and energy saving in 27 cities of five climatic zones in China are discussed. The results show that adjustable vent height should be less than 0.70 m to ensure that PM10 concentrations at platform can be maintained at an acceptable level and the requirement of fresh air can be met. Moreover, energy consumption can be reduced by more than 70 % in different cities compared with the conventional mechanical ventilation system. The optimized adjustable vent can provide an important reference for improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and saving energy consumption of ventilation systems in underground facilities.

Simulation and Optimization Study on the Ventilation Performance of High-Rise Buildings Inspired by the White Termite Mound Chamber Structure.

High-rise buildings often use mechanical systems to assist ventilation to maintain the stability of their internal environments, and the energy consumption of mechanical ventilation poses a great challenge to urban environments and energy systems. The ventilation system of termite mounds with a combination of internal main and attached chambers is one of the classic examples of nature's bionic approach to maintaining a stable internal ventilation environment for large-volume structures. In this study, based on the inspiration of the internal ventilation chamber structure of bionic termite mounds, we constructed seven high-rise building chamber ventilation models based on the chamber structure of termite mounds with main chambers, main chambers plus single-attached chambers (three types), and main chambers plus double-attached chambers (three types) under natural ventilation conditions, aiming at obtaining the optimal low-energy and high-efficiency chamber ventilation model for bionic termite mounds in high-rise buildings. (1) The wind speed and wind pressure of the high-rise building with the addition of the bionic termite mound chamber structure is higher than that of the traditional chamber-free high-rise building in the sample floors, the maximal difference of the wind speed between the two models is 0.05 m/s, and the maximal difference of the wind speed of the single building is 0.14 m/s, with the maximal difference of the wind speed of the single building being 0.14 m/s; and the natural ventilation environment can be satisfied by a high-rise building with a chamber. (2) After increasing the single-attached chamber structure of the bionic termite mound, the difference in wind speed of different floors is 0.15 m/s, which is 0.10 m/s higher than that of the high-rise building model with the main chamber only. (3) Under the bionic termite mound chamber high-rise building double-attached chamber model, the maximum difference in wind speed of each floor sampling point can reach 0.19 m/s, while the wind pressure cloud map shows a stable wind environment system. (4) Two attached chambers are added at A and B of the high-rise building to form the a4 model of the chamber of the high-rise building with a double-chamber bionic termite mound. According to the results, it can be seen that the model of the nine floor sampling points of the maximum wind speed difference has six places for the highest value, and the single building wind speed difference for the minimum value of 0.10 m/s. The study aims to optimize the connectivity and ventilation performance of high-rise buildings under natural ventilation conditions and to promote the green and sustainable design of high-rise buildings.

A novel air balancing method based on an improved perceptron under multiple constraints for the energy conservation of ventilation system

Air balancing is a key technology for improving indoor environmental quality and reducing ventilation system energy consumption. Existing air balancing methods just considered damper angles and fan control voltages, combined as single constraint strategy to balance air. Fan power, as the direct parameter affecting system electricity consumption, has not been included in air balancing modelling. On the other hand, single constraint strategy makes current methods inflexible to maintain airflow accuracy and energy efficiency together. This paper proposes a novel air balancing energy-saving model with multiple constraint control strategy. Damper angle, fan control voltage, and fan power are combined by an improved perceptron model. It is aimed at minimizing ventilation system energy consumption, by achieving optimal airflow accuracy and energy conservation. The proposed improved perceptron under multiple constraints (IPMC) method is validated on the experimental system with 5 terminals, air balancing relative errors within 6.0 %. Compared with the current high-precision and energy-saving methods in references, IPMC reduces energy consumption by 12.0 % and 7.6 %, respectively, with improved airflow prediction accuracy. The proposed air balancing method has three innovation: 1) Constrained by the fan power, the IPMC method improves ventilation energy efficiency; 2) Independent and flexible constraints enable more accurate airflow control; 3) Integrated by an improved perceptron, multiple constraints consider airflow prediction accuracy and energy conservation at the same time. This method is expected to better satisfy airflow demand and reduce effectively energy consumption of ventilation system, thus improving building ventilation energy utilization efficiency without losing thermal comfort and indoor air quality.

Effect of combined side-wall air supply on ventilation and respiratory pollutant dispersion characteristics of high-speed trains

The ventilation system significantly affects the energy saving, thermal comfort, and pollutant dispersion characteristics of high-speed trains. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), the effects of combining side-wall air supply with side roof or ceiling air supply, on the performance of a high-speed train ventilation system is studied. The results show that the addition of side-wall air supply aids energy saving and emission reduction, resulting in an increase in energy utilisation coefficient of between 5% and 30%. The number of measurement points with wind speed less than 0.3 m/s increases by 3%∼9%, which can improve passenger comfort. Also, the concentration of pollutants can be reduced by 6%∼29%, and the diffusion distance along the length of the train can be reduced by 18%∼45%, which means more efficient ventilation and a shorter diffusion range of pollutants. However, it reduces temperature uniformity. The results of this study can be used for ventilation optimisation of high-speed trains, to reduce ventilation energy consumption, improve thermal comfort, and increase ventilation efficiency.

Energy-saving potential of fresh air management using camera-based indoor occupancy positioning system in public open space

The energy consumption of fresh air systems constitutes a significant proportion of the energy consumption of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system therefore, energy savings for fresh air handling units are essential. Typically, fresh air is supplied to a room, regardless of whether the space is occupied. Owing to the development of machine vision technology, camera-based indoor occupancy positioning systems that can provide the correct number and location of indoor occupancies have been developed. Thus, energy conservation for fresh air-handling units can be achieved by not serving vacant areas or by assuming a design load in the working zones. In this study, an occupancy position-oriented fresh air (OPFA) system is proposed to supply fresh air more directly to an occupied zone, thus conserving energy. To determine the location of indoor occupants, a stereo camera-based indoor occupancy positioning system is developed, and its accuracy is verified to be within 50 cm; furthermore, it can operate at only 30 W. To determine the annual energy consumption of the OPFA system, the positions of occupants in a classroom are monitored and recorded for 8 months. Subsequently, the typical occupancy patterns of the areas of interest are extracted via hierarchical clustering analysis. The results show that the total occupied time in the classroom is only 50.6% of the opening time. The most typical usage scenario is a self-study scenario with fewer than three persons. Therefore, typical operation strategies for a fresh air handling unit can be designed based on these typical occupancy scenarios, which can potentially conserve more than one-half of the supplied fresh air volume. The performance of the system is numerically investigated and compared with that of a conventional system. The result shows that the system reduces the total fresh air volume and energy consumption by 60.2% and 67.7%, respectively. This study offers a paradigm for efficiently reducing the energy usage of fresh air systems in multipurpose buildings based on occupancy positions to identify typical indoor occupancy patterns, thus allowing the operation strategies of ventilation systems to be optimized.

Optimizing indoor air quality: CFD simulation and novel air cleaning methods for effective aerosol particle inhibition in public spaces.

In contemporary building ventilation, displacement and mixing ventilation demand high air volumes for rapid virus elimination, resulting in elevated energy consumption. To minimize the spread of viruses and decrease energy consumption for ventilation, this study employed CFD to explore the efficacy of a downward uniform flow field in impeding the transmission of aerosol particles in a high-traffic public facility, like a supermarket. The findings indicate that the downward uniform flow field proves insufficient when individuals remain static for extended periods. A wind speed of 0.1 m/s or higher becomes essential to overpower the stationary thermal plume, which disrupts this flow field. In areas with human presence, however, this technique is found to be particularly efficient since mobile heat sources do not generate a fixed thermal plume. A 0.05 m/s downward uniform flow field can settle 90% of particles within just 22 s. This flow pattern contributes to the swift settling of aerosol particles and effectively diminishes their dispersion. Employing this flow pattern in public places with increased foot traffic, like supermarkets, can lower the risk of contracting novel coronavirus without augmenting energy consumption. In order to implement the flow field in a part of the domain, a new air purification device is proposed in this study. The device combined with shelves can optimize the flow field uniformity through the MLA (PSO-SVR) algorithm and alteration of the air distribution structure. The uniformity of the final flow field increased to 0.925. The combination of data-driven MLA with CFD showed good performance in predicting the flow field uniformity. These findings offer valuable insights and practical applications for the prevention and control of respiratory diseases, particularly in post-epidemic scenarios.

Intelligent ventilation control in enclosed environment towards health and energy efficiency: A study of elevator cabins

Airborne transmission of respiratory infectious diseases has brought severe impacts to the enclosed environment, e.g., elevator cabins. According to statistics, there are over 2 billion elevator rides in China every day. Elevator cabins are not only enclosed, small in space, and with close contact among passengers, but also lack efficient ventilation control, which increases the relative risk of virus transmission and infection. This study conducted investigation on elevator environment and designed an intelligent ventilation control system for elevator cabins towards healthy and energy efficiency. The system adjusts the elevator fan speed according to the real-time carbon dioxide concentration and automatically open the elevator door to enhance air circulation. This can reduce the rate of passengers coming into contact with the virus, lower the relative risk of respiratory disease infection, and also efficiently reduce ventilation energy consumption. This study established a physical model of an elevator and tested a fixed-speed ventilation strategy, an intelligent variable-speed ventilation strategy, and an intelligent door-opening strategy. Through experimental analyses, it was found that while meeting the condition of infection probability less than 1.2%, the intelligent variable-speed ventilation and door-opening strategy can reduce energy consumption by 41%. When the variable-speed and door-opening strategies cooperate simultaneously, the efficiency of reducing infection probability is doubled compared to that of using fixed-speed ventilation strategy only, which offers a promising solution for ventilation in enclosed environment.

Modeling of a Rotary Adsorber for Continuous Capture of Indoor Carbon Dioxide

Removing indoor CO2 as a pollutant via solid sorbents is a promising solution to maintaining acceptable indoor air quality while minimizing the energy consumption of ventilation. Compared to fixed-bed and fluidized-bed configurations, which require at least two beds to allow for continuous operation, a rotary adsorber is more compact and suitable to be integrated into the ventilation systems of buildings. In the present study, a regenerative rotary adsorber based on temperature swing adsorption was modeled to investigate continuous CO2 capture in an indoor environment. The governing equations of heat and mass transfer processes associated with the capture were established and coded in ANSYS Fluent software. The spatiotemporal variations of CO2 concentration and temperature in gas and solid phases within the rotary adsorber were obtained. The key findings are: (1) adjusting the speed mainly affects circumferential concentration and temperature distribution, but has little impact on axial concentration and temperature; (2) Increasing desorption inlet flow rate has little impact on adsorption outlet concentration, but significantly decreases desorption outlet concentration; (3) Raising desorption inlet temperature can increase both adsorption and desorption outlet average concentrations; (4) Reducing the volume proportion of the desorption sector will slightly increase adsorption outlet concentration and slightly decrease desorption outlet concentration, but barely affects average adsorption and desorption outlet temperatures.

Parameter Study of a Loss Reducing Passive Flow Control Method in a Square-to-square Sudden Expansion

The energy consumption of mechanical ventilation in buildings needs to be reduced. An efficient way to achieve this goal is to reduce the hydraulic resistance of the ventilation duct system elements, for example, that of sudden expansions. Ventilation ducts and pipe fittings are frequently of rectangular cross-section. The present paper investigates a passive flow control method in order to reduce the loss coefficient of a square-to-square sudden expansion, where the loss-reducing appendages are short guide vanes, termed as miniflaps, placed at the step edge of the sudden expansion. The turbulent flow is examined numerically using the generalized k-ω model of the Ansys Fluent software for different area ratios of the sudden expansion, miniflap lengths, and miniflap angle setups. The Reynolds number is kept constant at 1.08·105. Based on the results of the numerical simulations, the loss coefficient of the sudden expansion can be reduced by ~20–25% for an optimum miniflap angle between 9° and 12°. Increasing the length of the miniflaps leads to a greater reduction of the loss coefficient up to a miniflap length of 0.3 dh1, where dh1 is the upstream hydraulic diameter of the duct.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING

Problem statement. The current direction of the development of the energy policy of Ukraine is the transformation of the residential communal complex into a system that makes it possible to implement organizational and technical methods for creating energy-efficient multi-apartment residential buildings. The advantage of designing energy-efficient buildings is a high level of comfort, creating a favorable microclimate in a residential building, reducing the negative impact on the environment, reducing harmful emissions into the atmosphere, and saving energy resources. One of the main characteristics of the energy efficiency of buildings is the specific energy consumption for heating and cooling the premises per year. In order to achieve a reduction in the specific rate of thermal energy consumption for heating and ventilation of the building, it is necessary to responsibly approach the issues of the efficiency of energy-saving systems. It is possible to achieve an increase in energy efficiency with the help of a combination of various constructive, engineering and architectural planning measures, as well as the simultaneous use of modern engineering energy-saving methods and technologies in combination with a compact form and layout of the building. The purpose of the article. Analyze the calculation of the cost of energy resources of an apartment building, taking into acount energy-efficient solutions. Conclusions. An analysis of the dependence of energy costs of a multi-apartment residential building on the level of implementation of energy-efficient systems was carried out. During the construction of residential complexes in Odesa, the use of the system of energy-efficient solutions and the “Smart House” control system allows you to significantly reduce energy costs. Due to the use of an automated control system for technical devices in the building, a reduction in transmission costs and costs for the functioning of the ventilation system is achieved.

Experimental study on precise control air quantity on demand by the cooperation of multiple main fans in mine

Due to the global energy crisis worsening, numerous businesses have prioritized energy conservation and consumption reduction. However, in mines with multiple main fans, the main fans' operation efficiency is low to meet the ventilation on-demand, and the ventilation system's energy consumption is very high. This paper proposes an energy-saving control strategy for ventilation on demand with multiple fans network, which can save much energy in mines. We use the circuit method to calculate the operating condition parameters required for the joint control of multiple main fans by analyzing the influence features of multiple fans' mutual disturbance. We study the advantages and shortcomings of the traditional fan control method and create control strategy expressions for multiple fans. The two-step fan control strategy uses the adjusting wheel blades' angle method to determine the high-efficiency operating angle and the modulating fan speed method for accurate air quantity control. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the control strategy in ventilation on demand and fan energy-saving are verified on the three-dimensional complex ventilation pipe network experimental platform. The research results show that, compared to the two typical fan control strategies, our control strategy can save energy by 27.74% and 26.92%, respectively. If this strategy is applied to a mine with two main fans rated power of 500 kW, it can save energy 2,429,806 kW per year, saving USD 442.69 per day or USD 161,582.1 per year. The payback period for this strategy is approximately 14.1 months. Therefore, this research can provide a promising step towards intelligent control of air quantity on-demand while indicating enormous potential for energy savings in mine ventilation systems.

Annual thermal performance analysis and optimization of earth-air heat exchanger by using a new 1D-2D hybrid numerical model

Thermal performance potential analysis is necessary when using the earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) as a passive way to reduce ventilation energy consumption or achieve thermal comfort in buildings. This work aimed to develop a new simulating model, investigate parametric influence, and build an optimizing criterion. This paper built a 1D-2D hybrid transient numerical model, integrating a number of 2D explicit diffusion models in the earth domain and two 1D implicit convection-diffusion models in the air region. A novel splitting discrete scheme was built on the earth-air coupled interface to separate computations in the two domains while considering their interactions. EAHE thermal performance was analyzed in terms of the outlet temperature/humidity and annual cooling/heating capacity. This paper originally suggested the outlet temperature or cooling/heating capacity limit in an entire year as the criterion for optimizing EAHE's length and depth in any climate.36 one-year-duration simulations of single-pipe EAHE, 27 one-year-duration simulations and a ten-year-duration simulation of multi-pipe EAHE were conducted to analyze influences of the velocity, diameter, length, depth, and pipe-to-pipe space. Results show that this new model could be an effective tool and the novel optimizing criterion is feasible. Both the single-pipe and multi-pipe EAHEs have the same limit of outlet temperature/humidity and it depends on the pipe depth only given a specific climate. The optimal/effective depth is 6 m. The optimal/effective pipe length is independent of pipe depth and increases with air velocity and diameter. Multi-pipe EAHE can be treated as single-pipe EAHE given the pipe-to-pipe space is greater than 3 m.

Recent Advancements in Ventilation Systems Used to Decrease Energy Consumption in Buildings—Literature Review

The need for healthy indoor conditions, the energy crisis, and environmental concerns make building ventilation systems very important today. The elements of ventilation systems to reduce energy intensity are constantly the subject of much scientific research. The most recent articles published in the last three years are analyzed in this paper. Publications focused on the topic of reducing energy consumption in ventilation systems were selected and divided into five key research areas: (1) the aspect of the airtightness of buildings and its importance for the energy consumption, (2) the methods and effects of implementing the concept of demand-controlled ventilation in buildings with different functions, (3) the possibilities of the technical application of decentralized ventilation systems, (4) the use of earth-to-air heat exchangers, (5) the efficiency of exchangers in exhaust air heat-recovery systems. The multitude of innovative technologies and rapid technological advances are reflected in articles that appear constantly and prompt a constant updating of knowledge. This review constitutes a relevant contribution to recognizing current advancements in ventilation systems and may be helpful to many scientists in the field.

Investigation of the appropriate phase change temperatures for an enhanced passive indoor thermal regulation in a semi-arid climate: Tunable PCM case

Researchers in the building industry are becoming increasingly interested in phase change materials (PCM). As these PCMs might provide passive temperature adjustment, this will aid in lowering the energy consumption of Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) devices. To prevent leakage during phase change, an enclosure is needed when installing PCMs in buildings. The need to assess the passive thermal regulation of the PCMs at different melting temperature is necessary, so that we can get a sense of how much energy will be saved for this passive thermal regulation method. Hence, this paper will evaluate and identify the optimum phase change transition temperatures during the whole year for wall composition with tunable PCM in a semi-arid climate. Thus, the main objective of this study is to assess the indoor air temperature fluctuation reduction and the PCM activation while suggesting an appropriate phase change transition temperature that can be beneficial in the whole year and very practical. The results reveal a good passive temperature regulation during the summer period.

Design and analysis of a window-integrated passive system (WIPS) with the use of solar heat gains

As one of the passive building design strategies to decrease ventilation energy consumption, several window-integrated passive systems (WIPS) have been developed and implemented into buildings. This study proposed a new WIPS inspired by a double skin façade (DSF) design that provides pre-heating and ventilation by utilizing solar heat gains collected in the air cavities. The performance of the proposed WIPS was analyzed and developed based on different design parameters such as material, width, height, shape, depth, and opening area, for the wintertime in Seoul, Korea. Furthermore, the computational fluid dynamics model, Fluent 2021 R2 with the RNG k-epsilon turbulence model, was used for the simulation. To focus on the buoyancy effect occurring in the air cavities, the influence of wind was excluded from the CFD modelling and analysis. Therefore, 0 Pa pressure differences between the inlet and outlet of the room were applied. The results showed that the buoyancy effect increased in the WIPS with a wider and higher inflow cavity than a case with narrower and shorter cavity, also utilizing glass material for the cavity surfaces exposed to the outside resulted in absorbing more solar radiation and more buoyancy effect. Moreover, the converged shape cavity increased the volume flow rate of the cavity due to the increased air velocity from the Venturi effect. Overall, all design parameters can impact the performance of WIPS either by hindering or assisting the airflow of the WIPS.

Novel issues for urban energy-saving management: Renewal of leftover space

In modern cities, space congestion will significantly increase building energy consumption (for example, insufficient lighting and poor ventilation caused by congestion). Therefore, optimizing space is a prominent approach to optimizing urban energy management, and the renewal of leftover space is considered with great potential. This research first focuses on worldwide cases that show the current approaches to re-use these leftover spaces, and then systematically classifies them according to their energy-saving and planning strategies. Influenced by factors such as its state structure and economic system, China and the West show many differences. This study develops “City 360” platform as an innovative method to tackle the following problems in leftover space renewal process: simplification resulting in social inequality, low penetration of renewable energy, insufficient planning of electric vehicle parking spaces, and inclusive planning. “City 360” turns the process of leftover space renewal from an urban simplification into an urban diversification, and responds to green challenges. By Integrating multiple actors into a participative process, renewal of leftover space can balance the power among state, society and market, and maximize energy-saving efforts. The innovative, inclusive multi-level planning tool helps cut energy consumption and promotes the minimizing of carbon footprint in developing urban communities.

Influence of pleated geometry on the pressure drop of filters during dust loading process: experimental and modelling study

In this study, a pressure drop model was developed through numerical simulation and experimentation for optimizing the design of the pleated structure of the filter media to extend the service life of the filter and reduce the ventilation energy consumption. The effect of the Stokes number on the dust deposition on the pleated filter media was revealed through numerical simulation. On this basis, a pressure drop model during dust loading was developed. The model suggests that under the same mass of dust deposition per unit area (W), the greater the pleat ratio (α), the greater the dust cake thickness and the effective filtration velocity in the effective filtration area. In addition, for V-shaped and U-shaped filters, the relative mean deviations between experimental and modeling total pressure drops are 3.68% and 4.82%, respectively. In other words, the proposed model accurately predicts pressure drop during dust loading. Furthermore, under the same α and W, the total pressure drop of the U-shaped filter is lower than that of the V-shaped filter, demonstrating the superior filtration performance of the U-shaped filter.