PR2011

The overarching objective of this study was to develop a numerical model based on computational fluid dynamics to predict aerosol concentration distributions in indoor environments. Towards this end, this paper proposes a wall surface deposition model of nano-scale aerosol that can predict unsteady deposition flux of aerosol indoors; it also reports the results of sensitivity analyses for targeting a plug-flow-type chamber.

Office buildings in Chile show higher cooling than heating energy demand. The climate of the country show important differences between cities by the ocean and those of interior regions, located between the coastal and the Andes range. Main cities of Central Chile, where more than 40% of buildings are constructed every year are Santiago and Valparaíso, both located at around 33° S. Santiago presents a Mediterranean climate, with a high temperature oscillation between day and night during cooling period.

In many parts of Asia as typified by Japan, conditioning of the indoor thermal and air environments using natural ventilation since ancient times. When indoor thermal and air environments are predicted, the use of simulation technologies such as CFD and Heating and Ventilation Network Model has increased. Those have advantages and disadvantages. In addition, AI programs like Neural Network (NN) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) are increasingly utilized in other research areas. In architectural equipment field, there are examples of airconditioning system models with NN.

As building insulation level increases, the coupling of ventilation systems with building enveloppe airtightness becomes an important issue in order to improve buildings energy performances. A building ventilation model can be built on a set of resistances and generators in order to handle infiltration, natural ventilation as well as fan driven air flows. The model is able to assess the indoor air humidity level and the building energy balance.

When conducting airtightness tests of buildings, you must ensure that all building parts to be measured have air connection, so that the test object can be considered as one single zone. This also applies to large buildings like office buildings, schools, old people homes, indoor pools, etc. with several floors and rambling floor plans. Openings that are too small for a constant air flow from the leakages to the measuring device can prevent an even pressure distribution.

The issue of the uncertainty of building airtightness measurements has built up a greater importance since this topic was introduced in many regulations regarding the energy performance of buildings. Different studies have contributed to the evaluation of the uncertainty but the question is still incompletely solved in practice.
To contribute to the determination of the repeatability and reproducibility of these measurements in practice, the Belgian Building Research Institute organized interlaboratory tests with 10 other laboratories.

The 2012 French thermal regulation will include a minimum requirement for residential buildings envelope airtightness, with two options to justify its treatment: a) measurement at commissioning or b) adoption of an approved quality management approach. This paper describes the qualification process for air-tightness measurement authorized technicians when their results are to be used in the EP-calculation method. Our analyses underline the importance of the qualification process to ensure homogeneous measurement practice among technicians.

In 2002 the Association for Air Tightness in Buildings (FLiB e. V.) established a certification procedure for airtightness testers in Germany. As airtightness tests are part of national implementation of EPBD but no qualification requirements for testers are defined FLiB e. V. took the lead and defined a procedure.

Origins of toxic gas clouds may be diverse, including accidental releases due to industry or to hazardous materials transportation, or biological or chemical attacks. A protection to such a phenomenon consists in taking advantage of the protection offered by buildings against airborne pollutants. In this event, people can shelter in a building and wait until the toxic plume has gone.

The indoor environment can play a significant role in the transmission of and exposure to various contaminants. In the case of some emerging aerial infections, such as those caused by influenza virus and tuberculosis virus, the airborne route of transmission is considered to be important for evaluating the health risk associated with exposure to contaminants.