Increase In Ventilation Rate Research Articles

Association between bedroom environment and sleep quality of older adults: A winter field study

Few studies have investigated the association between bedroom environment and sleep quality, especially in older adults during the winter months. In the present study, a field measurement was conducted in the bedrooms of 104 older adults, each for one week in Shanghai during the winter season. Their sleep quality was recorded with a wrist-worn sleep tracker and assessed with a questionnaire. Measurements from 507 person-nights were analyzed using the generalized linear mixed model after excluding unreliable data. The overnight means of bedroom temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentrations, which were continuously measured, ranged from 8 to 22 °C, 32 to 93%, and 430ppm to 3900ppm, respectively. The results indicated that relative humidity and CO2 concentration were pivotal factors significantly influencing sleep quality. Both low and high humidity were not conducive to sleep. Higher CO2 concentrations were associated with decreased sleep quality, particularly when combined with the low humidity. The sleep quality was less sensitive to bedroom temperature, probably because the older adults commonly used bed heating to maintain comfortable sleep microclimate. The present study indicates that increasing ventilation rate and avoidance of low/high humidity in the bedroom are important for maintaining sleep quality of older adults during winter.

Assessment of controlled assistance from e-bikes as a mitigation strategy for individual PM exposure

Abstract Background While promoting active mobility and outdoor activities can benefit health (HLT), it also increases Exposure (EXP) to air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), due to the increased ventilation rate (VR) under physical activity. Traditional assessments of individual (IND) PM EXP involve costly equipment inaccessible to the public, but real-time low-cost sensors (LCS) are now emerging. This study presents a proof of concept to demonstrate the use of LCS for examining the real-time IND respiratory dose deposited (RDD) to PM cycling across the Brescia province. Methods An e-bike was ridden 33 times between 2022 and 2023 wearing a LCS for PM concentration [PM] linked to a GPS. Respiratory dose deposited(RDD) was calculated for six different locations within each route based on experimental PM and various VR. Results The LCS allows for the study of the spatial and temporal variability of [PM], revealing a significant difference (p < 0.01) according to the heating system operation and no significant difference (p > 0.05) depending on the location. RDD increases with [PM] and VR. Real-time and integrated RDD is calculated for routes with high (> 50 µg/m3), medium (25 µg/m3), and low (<10 µg/m3) [PM2.5]. The e-bike assistance is activated when the WHO interim target 4 of [PM] is reached to reduce VR, which corresponds to a shift to a lower physical activity intensity. The RDD calculated using the e-bike assistance over the path reduces RDD by about 23% and 11% over the high and medium [PM], while it never activates for the low [PM]. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the use of LCS allows the estimation of IND RDD, and the implementation of mitigation strategies based on controlled assistance from e-bikes would enable the reduction of PM individual EXP. Key messages • The integration of HLT data from wearable and air quality LCS enables the promotion of active mobility and outdoor activities controlling the EXP to air pollutants. • Establishing generalized guidelines based on this mitigation strategies for individual exposure reduction may also inform policy recommendations for promoting active and green mobility.

Experimental study on the effect of longitudinal ventilation on spill fire characteristics in sloped tunnels

A series of spill fire tests were carried out in a reduced-scale tunnel (6 m × 0.6 m × 0.45 m), considering different discharge rates (60–140 ml/min), ventilation rates (0∼1.26 m/s), and tunnel slopes (3 %, 5 %, 7 %). Some crucial characteristic parameters during the quasi-steady combustion stage of tunnel spill fires were analyzed, including the diffusion shape of the liquid fuel, mass burning rate per unit area, flame morphology and plume temperature, and the critical ventilation velocity. The results show that as the tunnel slope increases, the diffusion shape of the liquid fuel transitions from circular to an ellipse shape and then to rectangular or linear shape. Moreover, the mass burning rate per unit area decreases with increasing ventilation rates at low ventilation (V < 0.5 m/s), while it remains almost constant at high ventilation rates (V ≥ 0.5 m/s). This could be attributed to variations in flame tilt behavior under different ventilation conditions. Predictive models for the flame tilt angle and the vertical temperature distribution of tunnel spill fires under the effect of ventilation were further established and verified. Furthermore, the critical ventilation velocity of tunnel spill fires remains essentially unchanged as the discharge rate (or fire source power) increases. This phenomenon was explained by analyzing the resistance of the spill fire plume and the buoyancy generated by the smoke temperature. This work could serve as a critical reference for assessing disaster risks and executing emergency rescue operations during tunnel spill fires.

Effectiveness of triethylene glycol disinfection on airborne MS2 bacteriophage under diverse building operational parameters

Research on triethylene glycol (TEG) use to disinfect airborne microorganisms have been conducted in non-realistic chamber settings. This study assesses how air temperature, humidity, HVAC settings, and filtration impact TEG's effectiveness in deactivating a common SARS-CoV-2 substitute, MS2 bacteriophage, in a simulated non-occupied office-sized chamber. The chamber was served by a dedicated HVAC system operating at 22.0, 23.5 and 25.0 °C, at 40, 55 and 70 % relative humidity, at 0, 3 and 6 air change per hour (ACH) recirculation, at 0.8, 2.5 and 5.0 ACH outdoor ventilation and at no, MERV8 and MERV14 filtration status. Airborne MS2 log10 reductions in the presence of TEG increased linearly over time and we noted a higher MS2 inactivation rate with higher TEG concentration. The estimated TEG concentration needed for a one-log inactivation of the MS2 within an hour was 0.44 mg/m3. The efficacy of TEG declined with the increase in temperature from 22.0 to 25.0 °C, peaked at 55 % RH, increased with higher recirculation rates but decreased with increasing ventilation rates and higher efficiency filters. The results of our study suggest that the optimum environmental and building conditions for TEG performance is at 22.0 or 23.5 °C air temperature, 55 % relative humidity, 0.8 ACH ventilation rate and 6 ACH recirculation rate. By conducting experiments in simulated office conditions, this study closes significant knowledge gaps in TEG performance application.

Air disinfection performance of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UR-UVGI) system in a multi-compartment dental clinic

Multi-compartment dental clinics present significant airborne cross-infection risks. Upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UR-UVGI) system have shown promise in preventing airborne pathogens, but its available application data are insufficient in multi-compartment dental clinics. Therefore, the UR-UVGI system's performance in a multi-compartment dental clinic was comprehensively evaluated in this study. The accuracy of the turbulence and drift flux models was verified by experimental data from ultrasonic scaling. The effects of the ventilation rate, irradiation zone volume, and irradiation flux on UR-UVGI performance were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics coupled with a UV inactivation model. Different patient numbers were considered. The results showed that UR-UVGI significantly reduced virus concentrations and outperformed increased ventilation rates alone. At a ventilation rate of six air changes per hour (ACH), UR-UVGI with an irradiation zone volume of 20% and irradiation flux of 5 μW/cm2 achieved a 70.44% average virus reduction in the whole room (WR), outperforming the impact of doubling the ventilation rate from 6 to 12 ACH without UR-UVGI. The highest disinfection efficiency of UR-UVGI decreased for WRs with more patients. The compartment treating patients exhibited significantly lower disinfection efficiency than others. Moreover, optimal UR-UVGI performance occurs at lower ventilation rates, achieving over 80% virus disinfection in WR. Additionally, exceeding an irradiation zone volume of 20% or an irradiation flux of 5 μW/cm2 notably reduces the improvement rates of UR-UVGI performance. These findings provide a scientific reference for strategically applying UR-UVGI in multi-compartment dental clinics.

Experimental investigation on the preparation of macroscopic 0–1 mm powdered coal by a vertical spindle mill

The vertical spindle mill (VSM) is the key equipment to realize the preparation of 0–1 mm fuel used in powdered-coal-fired circulating fluidized bed combustion technology (PC-CFB). In this paper, a pilot-scale VSM test system was set up to explore the feasibility and operating performance of coarse-grained pulverized coal preparation. The effects of loading force, table revolution rate, and ventilation rate on the product size distribution, as well as the energy consumption of the grinding process were emphatically discussed. The results show that the product size of VSM increases with the decrease of loading force and the increase of ventilation rate, but too small a loading force will affect the normal output of VSM. Additionally, the product size of VSM decreases firstly and then increases with the increase of table revolution rate. Further, the energy consumption of the powdered coal preparation process was quantitatively described, and a semi-empirical model of comminution energy based on the powdered coal particle size distribution was proposed and verified by the measured values with an average accuracy of ±30 %. This model can estimate the power consumption of the mill, which can be used as an input parameter of the heat balance calculation model for the PC-CFB pulverizing system.

Physiological sensitivities to hypoxia differ between co-occurring juvenile flatfishes

Coastal hypoxia threatens estuarine nursery habitat for juvenile demersal fishes worldwide, and is expected to intensify with climate change. This study examines the physiological tolerances of hypoxia in two ecologically and economically important flatfish species that co-occur in a highly eutrophic estuary and biodiversity hotspot on California's central coast, the Elkhorn Slough. Juveniles of English sole (Parophrys vetulus) occur less frequently in areas of the slough where dissolved oxygen (DO) ≤ 4.0 mg/L O2 compared to speckled sanddabs (Citharichthys stigmaeus), suggesting that English sole may be more sensitive to hypoxia. We exposed both species to an ecologically relevant, acute six-hour exposure to six DO levels ranging from ambient to severely hypoxic: 8.0, 6.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.5 mg/L O2 and measured known physiological and biochemical indicators of hypoxia stress. As DO declined, metabolic rate and aerobic scope decreased for English sole, while anaerobic activity (measured by L-lactate) and ventilation rate increased for both species. Biochemical responses to hypoxia were observed only at very low DO levels (≤ 4.0 mg/L O2), indicating that both species appear to have a higher tolerance for relatively short-term hypoxia than other teleost fishes. Speckled sanddabs increased ventilation rate and anaerobic activity at higher DO levels than English sole, suggesting that earlier onset of compensatory mechanisms may contribute to the greater relative hypoxia tolerance in sanddabs. Examining the link between physiological and ecological thresholds for hypoxia tolerance will help determine suitable nursery habitat areas and management targets for estuarine restoration, and aid in predictions of fishery success under eutrophication and climate change.

Evaluation of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation system for air disinfection and energy conservation in multi-patient ward

High occupancy rates significantly increase the risk of airborne transmission of respiratory infectious diseases in multi-patient wards. While increasing air supply can effectively reduce airborne transmission, it also substantially raises energy consumption. Therefore, developing low-energy methods in multi-patient wards to suppress airborne transmission is essential. This study aims to evaluate the inactivation performance of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) against SARS-CoV-2 virus aerosols in a typical multi-patient ward using computational fluid dynamics at different ventilation rates, as well as its energy-saving effects. Upper-room UVGI reduced the virus aerosol concentrations, with a maximum decrease of up to 159 copies/m3 in the occupied zone (zone less than 2.1 m in height) observed at 8 ACH. However, increased ventilation rates limited the inactivation performance of upper-room UVGI. Two parameters of UVGI, irradiation height and irradiation flux, had been detailly evaluated. Elevating the irradiation height of upper-room UVGI could significantly enhance the inactivation performance. Increasing irradiation height from 0.3 to 0.6 m reduced the concentrations in the occupied zone by up to 11 copies/m3, while a further increase to 0.9 m decreased the concentrations by up to 55 copies/m3. However, increasing irradiation flux could only approximately linearly enhance the virus aerosol inactivation performance of upper-room UVGI. The energy consumption evaluation of upper-room UVGI shows that UVGI activation could conserve 100 kWh per year in one multi-patient ward, with a maximum saving of 333.7 kWh. These findings provide insights into the setups strategies and the energy-saving performance of upper-room UVGI systems in multi-patient wards.

Role of Fluid Dynamics in Infectious Disease Transmission: Insights from COVID-19 and Other Pathogens

The spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 depends on complex fluid dynamics interactions between pathogens and fluid phases, including individual droplets and multiphase clouds. Understanding these interactions is crucial for predicting and controlling disease spread. This applies to human and animal exhalations, such as coughs and sneezes, as well as bursting bubbles that create micron-sized droplets in various indoor and outdoor environments. By exploring case studies in this regard, this study examines the emerging field of fluid dynamics in disease transmission, focusing on multiphase flows, interfacial flows, turbulence, pathogens, human traffic, aerosol transmission, ventilation, and breathing microenvironments. These results indicate that increased ventilation rates and local ventilation methods can effectively reduce the concentration of SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosols in the immediate breathing spaces between individuals. In a displacement-ventilated room, both neutral and unstable conditions were more effective in removing breathed SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosols from the air, regardless of the presence of test subjects. However, stable conditions may increase the risk of infection in individuals living in confined spaces. Thus, the findings of this study are useful for providing practical guidance for managing the spread of airborne infections. HIGHLIGHTS Fluid dynamics affect the transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 This study explored multiphase fluid flow, aerosol dispersion, and respiratory zones Increased ventilation and local methods reduce SARS-CoV-2 aerosol concentration Displacement ventilation eliminates SARS-CoV-2 aerosols under unstable conditions Cramped and damp living environments can increase the risk of transmission of infection GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Numerical simulation of forced ventilation fire suppression for wing leading edge pool fires

In order to meet the requirements of the flammable liquid fire prevention regulations under AC25-863, which stipulates that in the event of ignition, the ignition and its harm of leaked flammable liquids should be minimized, this study investigates the impact on the aircraft structure and the suppression process of wing leading edge pool fires of flammable liquid leakage under forced ventilation fire suppression. Geometric modeling of the wing leading edge in the flammable liquid leakage area is performed, and the burning conditions of the flame under different conditions are simulated. The heat release rate per unit area of the pool fire surface is set to 396.67 kW/m, with ventilation speeds ranging from 0 to 3.1 m/s. Through the analysis of simulation charts and data, it is observed that as the forced ventilation rate increases, the pool fire gradually tends towards a trend of suppression

Thermodynamic limitations on brain oxygen metabolism: physiological implications.

Recent thermodynamic modelling indicates that maintaining the brain tissue ratio of O2 to CO2 (abbreviated tissue O2 /CO2 ) is critical for preserving the entropy increase available from oxidative metabolism of glucose, with a fall of that available entropy leading to a reduction of the phosphorylation potential and impairment of brain energy metabolism. This provides a novel perspective for understanding physiological responses under different conditions in terms of preserving tissue O2 /CO2 . To enable estimation of tissue O2 /CO2 in the human brain, a detailed mathematical model of O2 and CO2 transport was developed, and applied to reported physiological responses to different challenges, asking: how well is tissue O2 /CO2 preserved? Reported experimental results for increased neural activity, hypercapnia and hypoxia due to high altitude are consistent with preserving tissue O2 /CO2 . The results highlight two physiological mechanisms that control tissue O2 /CO2 : cerebral blood flow, which modulates tissue O2 ; and ventilation rate, which modulates tissue CO2 . The hypoxia modelling focused on humans at high altitude, including acclimatized lowlanders and Tibetan and Andean adapted populations, with a primary finding that decreasing CO2 by increasing ventilation rate is more effective for preserving tissue O2 /CO2 than increasing blood haemoglobin content to maintain O2 delivery to tissue. This work focused on the function served by particular physiological responses, and the underlying mechanisms require further investigation. The modelling provides a new framework and perspective for understanding how blood flow and other physiological factors support energy metabolism in the brain under a wide range of conditions. KEY POINTS: Thermodynamic modelling indicates that preserving the O2 /CO2 ratio in brain tissue is critical for preserving the entropy change available from oxidative metabolism of glucose and the phosphorylation potential underlying energy metabolism. A detailed model of O2 and CO2 transport was developed to allow estimation of the tissue O2 /CO2 ratio in the human brain in different physiological states. Reported experimental results during hypoxia, hypercapnia and increased oxygen metabolic rate in response to increased neural activity are consistent with maintaining brain tissue O2 /CO2 ratio. The hypoxia modelling of high-altitude acclimatization and adaptation in humans demonstrates the critical role of reducing CO2 with increased ventilation for preserving tissue O2 /CO2 . Preservation of tissue O2 /CO2 provides a novel perspective for understanding the function of observed physiological responses under different conditions in terms of preserving brain energy metabolism, although the mechanisms underlying these functions are not well understood.

Experimental study on the effects of branch tunnel ventilation on the smoke movement and temperature characteristics in bifurcated tunnel fires

A series of fire tests were conducted in a bifurcated tunnel model with branch tunnel ventilation. Three fire locations were considered. The characteristics of smoke movement and temperature profile under various fire source location scenarios were analyzed. The results indicate that when the fire source is not at the intersection, the ventilation airflow in the branch tunnel is diverted at the intersection before it is imposed on the fire source, which results in the actual velocity of ventilation air imposed on the fire source being less than the velocity of ventilation air in the branch tunnel. A new parameter, named the diversion coefficient, was introduced for convenient analysis. By substituting the diversion coefficient values into a classic maximum temperature rise prediction model for the single-line tunnel fires, good prediction results were observed. Moreover, a new dimensionless smoke temperature decay model was developed. The applicability of the model was validated using full-scale fire test data from previous research. The dimensionless temperature decay law of smoke was analyzed based on the newly established model. Results show that when the fire is positioned at the intersection, the decay coefficient of the smoke downstream of the fire decreases linearly as the ventilation rate increases, while decay coefficient of the smoke upstream of the fire decreases slowly at first and then increases with the increase of ventilation rate. When the fire source is not at the intersection, the branch tunnel ventilation conditions could be classified into three categories: sub-critical, critical, and super-critical velocity. Changes in the ventilation velocity within the branch tunnel have little influence on temperature decay process of smoke in the main tunnel under critical and sub-critical velocity conditions. However, under super-critical velocity conditions, the smoke temperature decreases rapidly after reaching the intersection. Furthermore, predictive models for the critical velocity of the branch tunnel under various fire locations were established based on theoretical analysis and experimental data. Within a specific range of heat release rate, the critical velocity is proportional to the cube root of the heat release rate. Compared to when the fire is located at the intersection, the critical velocity is reduced significantly when the fire is not in the intersection.

Impacts of acute hypoxia on the short-snouted seahorse metabolism and behaviour

Seahorses are one of the most unique and enigmatic animals, recognized as flagship species for several conservation issues. Unfortunately, seahorses' populations have been declining and their unique lifestyle may constrain the ability of these animals to evolve in the future climate scenarios. They inhabit shallow coastal waters that display daily or seasonal environmental fluctuations. Yet, few studies have scrutinized the impacts of climate changes on these iconic species. Within this context, the objective of this work was to test the effects of an extreme hypoxia exposure (~27 % dissolved oxygen for approximately 7 h) on the metabolism, behaviour and food intake of the temperate seahorse Hippocampus hippocampus. Regarding metabolism, hypoxia exposure led to a significant reduction in metabolic rates and an increase in ventilation rates. Seahorses showed signs of movement lethargy under oxygen depletion. The results show that a small but extreme exposure to hypoxia is tolerable by seahorses despite inducing metabolic and behavioural changes, that may jeopardize the future development and survival of these iconic organisms.

Reducing airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by an upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation system in a hospital isolation environment

Upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) technology can potentially inhibit the transmission of airborne disease pathogens. There is a lack of quantitative evaluation of the performance of the upper-room UVGI for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) airborne transmission under the combined effects of ventilation and UV irradiation. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the performance of the upper-room UVGI system for reducing SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission in a hospital isolation environment. Computational fluid dynamics and virological data on SARS-CoV-2 were integrated to obtain virus aerosol exposure in the hospital isolation environment containing buffer rooms, wards and bathrooms. The UV inactivation model was applied to investigate the effects of ventilation rate, irradiation flux and irradiation height on the upper-room UVGI performance. The results showed that increasing ventilation rate from 8 to 16 air changes per hour (ACH) without UVGI obtained 54.32% and 45.63% virus reduction in the wards and bathrooms, respectively. However, the upper-room UVGI could achieve 90.43% and 99.09% virus disinfection, respectively, with the ventilation rate of 8 ACH and the irradiation flux of 10 μW cm−2. Higher percentage of virus could be inactivated by the upper-room UVGI at a lower ventilation rate; the rate of improvement of UVGI elimination effect slowed down with the increase of irradiation flux. Increase irradiation height at lower ventilation rate was more effective in improving the UVGI performance than the increase in irradiation flux at smaller irradiation height. These results could provide theoretical support for the practical application of UVGI in hospital isolation environments.

Numerical assessment of indoor air quality in spaces in the United States designed with the ASHRAE 62.1–2019 Natural Ventilation Procedure

Natural ventilation is used to cool buildings and cut energy costs by inducing airflow through building openings without the use of mechanical ventilation and cooling systems. However, prior research has documented increased introduction of particles into indoor environments that are naturally ventilated, with associated health consequences. The recently updated ASHRAE Standard 62.1–2019: Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality Natural Ventilation Procedure (NVP) prescribes opening sizes as a function of occupant density and geometry for use as a ventilation strategy, a change from the previous standard. The current work quantifies the indoor air quality impacts of implementing the Standard 62.1–2019 Natural Ventilation Procedure in the United States and compares it to the 62.1-specified ventilation rate procedure. This is done via coupled transient simulation of CONTAM 3.4 and EnergyPlus 9.1. Three pollutant classes were identified to represent a broad range of contaminants: outdoor-generated pollutants, pollutants generated indoors by humans, and pollutants generated indoors by the building itself. With boundary conditions from measured weather and outdoor pollutant data for 13 representative locations throughout the U.S., our modeling first found 41%–185% annual average increase in ventilation rates over its mechanical counterpart if the NVP is used across the geometries and occupant densities in the Standard. Due to elevated ventilation rates, the Natural Ventilation Procedure reduced building-generated and occupant-generated contaminant concentrations during occupied hours by an average of 17%–61% compared to the ventilation rate procedure. Outdoor-generated fine particles averaged 2.1–2.5 times the concentrations indoors when using the NVP as compared to mechanical ventilation with a MERV-8 filter and 7.8–10.4 times the concentration of a mechanical system with a MERV-13 filter. Both ventilation rates and concentrations were substantially climate-specific and somewhat window geometry-specific. We further showed that increased filtration is needed in many cases to keep up with increased effective NVP rates in the 2019 Standard if acceptable levels of indoor particles are to be achieved, and we offer suggestions for improving the Standard.

The impact of climate change on cognitive performance of children in English school stock: A simulation study

Children in England spend around 30% of their time in schools to gain knowledge and skills. Climate change could impact schools' thermal environments and children's learning performance by impairing their cognitive ability. This study presents an evaluation approach to investigating and quantifying climate change's impact on the cognitive performance of children across English school stocks. The study also evaluates the potential of possible strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change. The results show that future climates are projected to increase cognitive performance loss of children in school archetypes representative of school stocks, with variations based on regional climate characteristics. Increasing ventilation rates proves to be an effective means of reducing cognitive performance loss, while its effectiveness diminishes as outdoor temperatures rise in the future. Thus, the introduction of air conditioning becomes a potentially more beneficial strategy, despite the associated increase in cooling energy demand. Moreover, higher ventilation rates in air-conditioned classrooms can further improve children's cognitive performance. The use of cognitive performance loss as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) allows for better communication and understanding of climate change risks faced by schools among building and non-building experts. The proposed evaluation approach remains adjustable and can be continuously updated and enhanced as new insights from psychological research emerge.

Carbon, indoor air, energy and financial benefits of coupled ventilation upgrade and enhanced rooftop garden installation: An interdisciplinary climate mitigation approach

Building energy use contributes to urban carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions while inadequate ventilation can yield indoor CO2 build up from human respiration. However, increasing ventilation rates can add to energy costs and climate burdens. Our objective was to quantify changes in emissions, energy, and financial cost when rooftop garden and ventilation upgrades are done simultaneously, with an opportunity to enhance plant growth from exhausted CO2. We measured indoor CO2 concentrations, calculated ventilation rates, and modeled five scenarios to assess these impacts. The indoor CO2 concentration maximum was 2210 ppm, median was 840 ppm, and 33% of the daytime was spent above 1000 ppm. The estimated ventilation rate was 4 L/s. Our model calculations show that increasing ventilation to recommended levels (7 L/s) would increase total CO2 emissions, energy use, and cost (1–4%), but this could be counterbalanced by rooftop garden installation benefits, which yielded a net decrease of 23–46% in CO2 emissions, 12–13% in energy use, and 12–16% in cost. This novel integration of data collection and modeling provides support for the co-benefits of simultaneous improved installation ventilation systems and indoor CO2-enhanced rooftop gardens.

Numerical study of the effects of ventilation rates on supercavity dynamics and acoustic characteristics

This paper presents a numerical simulation investigation of the hydrodynamic and acoustic characteristics of ventilated supercavities that operate at various ventilation rates. The large eddy simulation (LES) and Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings (FW-H) methods are used to solve the unsteady flow field and noise. The results show that the ventilation rate plays an important role in cavity closure forms and can improve hydrodynamic performance. There is a transition from re-entrant flow closure to a stable double-vortex tube closure form at the supercavity tail as the ventilation rate increases. Meanwhile, under the condition of a high ventilation rate, the re-entrant flow region in the cavity gradually shrinks and hairpin vortices appear, the body length of the cavity increases,and the unsteadiness at the supercavity tail is weakened. However, the turbulence intensity and integral scale both increase with the ventilation rate. Moreover, it is found that the noise is closely related to supercavity closure form. Ventilated supercavities with closure forms of double-vortex tubes have better noise performance. Interestingly, as the ventilation rate increases, the total sound pressure levels are improved. The wavenumber-frequency spectra of supercavity turbulent pulsating pressures under studied ventilation rates are similar, but there are some differences in some local areas.

Effect of vanes on vortex characteristics of a vortex ventilation system

A modified local ventilation system using vortex flows with vanes is proposed to enhance ventilation performance. The effect of the vanes on the stability of vortex generation, its structure, and ventilation performance was experimentally investigated using particle image velocimetry measurements. The mean velocity vectors and vorticity contours with and without vanes were compared for Qex = 0.129 m3/s at Vs = 1.73 m/s to investigate the effect of vanes on the vortex characteristics. The flow structures, including the mean velocity field and vortex core size, were very similar with and without the vanes. However, distinct differences were found in the vortex characteristics related to vortex stability, including turbulent kinetic energy, circulation, swirl ratio, and vortex center distances. The normalized turbulent kinetic energy with vanes was observed to be relatively low in the core region. When the vanes were attached, the value of the circulation over the core region increased from 0.151 to 0.155; furthermore, Sc/Sin also increased by 3%. The results indicate that the vortex stability improved after installing the vanes. The concentration of particulate matter was measured to quantify the improvement in the performance of the vortex ventilation system. The improvement was evaluated by the increasing ventilation rate of up to 5.5% with vanes, which is attributed to the increase in vortex strength and stability. The results can be utilized as basic information to design vortex ventilation systems for large-scale factories.

Associations between illness-related absences and ventilation and indoor PM2.5 in elementary schools of the Midwestern United States

This study monitored indoor environmental data in 144 classrooms in 31 schools in the Midwestern United States for two consecutive days every fall, winter, and spring during a two-year period; 3,105 pupils attended classrooms where the measurements were conducted. All classrooms were ventilated with mechanical systems that had recirculation; there were no operable exterior windows or doors. The daily absence rate at the student level and demographic data at the classroom level were collected. The overall mean ventilation rate, using outdoor air, was 5.5 L/s per person (the corresponding mean carbon dioxide concentrations were < 2,000 ppm), and the mean indoor PM2.5 was 3.6 μg/m3. The annual illness-related absence rate at the classroom level was extracted from the student-level absence data and regressed on measured indoor environmental parameters. Significant associations were found. Every 1 L/s per person increase in ventilation rate was associated with a 5.59 decrease in days with absences per year. This corresponds to a 0.15% increase in the annual daily attendance rate. Every additional 1 μg/m3 of indoor PM2.5 was associated with a 7.37 increase in days with absences per year. This corresponds to a 0.19% decrease in the annual daily attendance rate. No other relationships were significant. Present results agree with the previously demonstrated benefits of reduced absence rates when classroom ventilation is improved and provide additional evidence on the potential benefits of reducing indoor inhalable particles. Overall, reduced absence rates are expected to provide socioeconomic benefits and benefits for academic achievements, while higher ventilation rates and reduced particle levels will also contribute to reduced health risks, including those related to airborne respiratory pathogens.