Space Planning, Ventilation and Energy Efficiency in Offices

This work investigates the impact of space planning, interior porosity and variable occupancy on the energy use in offices that is attributable to ventilation/infiltration and air movement. TAS, Lightscape, and Excel software packages were used to simulate and analyse airflow and thermal loads in different office layouts. These layouts were created by varying the internal configurations of a base case shell.

Unveiling Energy Saving Techniques for Cooling in Residential Buildings in Ghana

The gradual shift from the traditional approach of outdoor processes of habitation in Ghana to the indoor, coupled with an ingress of solar radiation, liberates excess heat into buildings and makes occupants feel uncomfortable. A straightforward response has been the adoption of air conditioners. This has resulted in high peak electricity demand and excess emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Influence of Induction Box Ports on Near Flow Field Mixing

This paper presents the influence of air blown through an injection nozzle in a circular section induction box on the axial jet and air induction. The effect of the turbulent jet on the axial mean streamwise velocity decay, turbulence characteristics, mass entrainment and temperature distribution in the near flow field of an enclosed numerical space is investigated. Convergence of the steady state simulations is achieved by using the RNG kappa-epsilon turbulence model.

Prediction of Flowfield and Acoustic Signature of a Split-type Air Conditioner

The fan is one of the major noise sources of an air conditioner. Because of the presence of other components in the fan assembly, such as the bell-mouth, outlet grille and compressor chamber, the ingested and discharged flow fields around the fan impellers are distinctly different from those in a free field. Therefore, the noise generation mechanisms become much more difficult to analyze and model. This paper concentrates on understanding the generation mechanism and evaluating the noise in the fan system of a split-type air conditioner.

The Use of Impulse Ventilation to Control Pollution in Underground Car Parks

The ventilation of underground car parks is important to avoid health problems associated with the inhalation of combustion products released by car engines, in particular carbon monoxide CO (which is commonly used as the indicator of car park indoor air quality). In recent years, a new mechanical ventilation system has appeared, based on the use of axial ventilators (jet fans) suspended under the car park ceiling. In this paper the flow generated by jet fans and their effects on pollutants are studied.

Estimation of the Wind Speed in Urban Areas – Height less than 10 Metres

Wind is an important factor that should be considered in the process of urban design. It is particularly important for natural ventilation design as well as providing guidance on heat transfer, the dispersion of air pollution, wind loading and pedestrian exposure.  This article introduces a set of graphs produced by the author to estimate the wind speed around low rise buildings at heights of less than 10 metres above ground level.

Utility of Wind Catchers for Nocturnal Ventilation

Wind catcher systems have been employed in buildings in the Middle East for many centuries and they are known by different names in different parts of the region. Recently there has been an increase in the application of this approach for natural ventilation and passive cooling in the UK and other countries.

Particulate Matter Mass Concentration (PM10) under Different Ventilation Methods in Classrooms

Recently, studies have shown that the classroom environment is very important for students' health and performance. Thus, the evaluation of indoor air quality (IAQ) in a classroom is necessary to ensure students' well-being. In this paper the emphasis is on airborne concentration of particulate matter (PM) in adult education rooms. The mass concentration of PM10 particulates was measured in two classrooms under different ventilation methods in the University of Reading, UK, during the winter period of 2008.

Energy Efficiency Design for a House with Temporary Heating and Winter Daytime Cross Ventilation

According to the local climate in Auckland, New Zealand, a house does not normally need any active cooling controls such as air conditioning or ceiling fans during the summer. Temporary heating is mainly needed during the winter night. In addition, winter daytime window ventilation is required to remove moisture arising from daily occupant activities. A previous study (Su, 2008) showed that additional winter energy consumption is needed for space heating, for hot water heating and for other appliances that are impacted by the winter conditions.

Strategies for Natural Ventilation of Urban Office Buildings

The world urban population is expanding, resulting in taller buildings and increased building density. This paper describes a design approach for the natural ventilation of high-rise buildings based on a double façade structure in which an external cladding is used in conjunction with a central air-well with wind catcher ("hood").

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