Acoustical and Airflow Performance of Interior Natural Ventilation Openings and Silencers - Optimisation and Application

There is a need for a greater understanding of the acoustical and airflow performance of interior openings, and of silencers implemented to improve their acoustical performance, in naturally ventilated buildings. This paper discusses preliminary, fundamental aspects of a study done to provide engineers and architects with optimal design techniques. It discusses the characterization of ventilator performance, including the definition of the open area ratio - a combined acoustical and airflow performance-optimisation metric.