Airbase publication

Sensor errors have an important impact on the operation, control, and detection of building energy systems. Correct and reliable sensors can effectively reduce the energy consumption of building energy systems. Virtual in-situ calibration (VIC) based on Bayesian inference and Markov Chain Monte Carlo method that no need to increase extra or install new sensors can effectively reduce systematic error and random error of the sensor and increase the reliability.

By using natural driving forces, hybrid ventilation systems reduce fan energy consumption in buildings. They are of increasing interest as they help to improve buildings energy efficiency while ensuring good indoor environmental quality. However, the performance of these systems is variable and dependent on climatic conditions. Besides, the plurality of openings, variable airflows, and unstable flow patterns make the measurement of the performance of natural or hybrid ventilation systems a challenging task.

Comfortable heating of rooms with large areas of external glazing is one of the most challenging issues in cold climate zones. The rule of thumb, in this case is locating the heating unit under the window. Modern architectural trends lead to an increase in the number of facilities with panoramic glazing. The common practice is to locate trench units in close proximity to glass for such facilities. This analysis shows that even fan-assisted trench heating cannot always cope with cold air screening of large windows.

The design heat load of buildings is composed of maximal heat losses via ventilation, infiltration and transmission. Ventilation control possibilities can have an impact on these maximal simultaneous ventilation losses. An automated zonally and locally controlled residential mechanical extract ventilation system (rVST) was investigated with respect to the maximal occurring total extract rate during the heating period. The analysis was performed based on big field and simulated data of a smart connected ventilation system.

High-quality data obtained from three-dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry (3D PTV) is pivotal for indoor environment engineering when designing ventilation strategies or monitoring airborne pollutants dispersion in inhabited spaces. A new method is proposed to link multiple 3D PTV systems, positioned side by side so that the entire measuring volume can be covered. An algorithm is developed to establish a link between the particles' trajectories calculated by each 3D PTV system.

In many countries, the mixing ventilation system (hereinafter referred to as MV) is the most common and widely used system in office buildings for decades, even after the development of the displacement ventilation system (hereinafter referred to as DV). It is believed that DV has better ventilation efficiency compared to MV. However, DV could have problems such as vertical temperature difference in the occupied zone, horizontal temperature distribution, and performance in the heating mode.

It is no longer sustainable to look at the performance of buildings in isolation of people that use them. This paper examines what is involved in assessing how a building performs for people. The Rose Bowl at Leeds Beckett University is an iconic building designed to BREEAM Excellent. The experience of staff and pupils in classrooms, offices and lecture theatres was proving to be less than excellent.

Indoor air quality is a major area of concern in northern housing and could be influenced by ventilation. The required ventilation rate set by North American ventilation standards (ASHRAE 62.2, CSA-F326) is calculated on the basis of fixed floor area and number of bedrooms or people. The heat/energy recovery ventilators (HRV/ERV) on the market offer constant airflows and are selected to meet the required ventilation.

Attached garages can pose a threat to a home’s indoor air quality because the garage air, which often contains some contaminants such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds, can migrate into living spaces. In this paper, a model is developed to characterize the transport of contaminants from a garage to a living space based on a measurement of single tracer gas decays without limiting the numbers of zones in the building.

Productivity of workers is greatly affected by their comfort in the workplace. Research has shown that thermal comfort is one of the most influential parameters on worker productivity, and that the running costs of a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system could be up to ten times lower compared to productivity losses that would be incurred in a free-runing building.