design

In contemporary architectural design, the indoor climate receives little attention. Most architects are not familiar with the typical problems and solutions involved in climate design. However, it is this relation that provides much control over the initial climate conditions and can prevent costly artificial solutions. As a result, many design decisions are made without insight into the consequences on the indoor climate.

The control of thermal environment is complicated in buildings with glass-covered atriums. Numerical simulation can play an important role in the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) design of atriums. Many researches have developed various computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods to accurately predict the thermal environment in atriums. However, a simple, reliable and fast method to deal with complex building construction is more suitable for building designers and engineers to take as a routine assistant tool of HVAC design.

As part of a graduation research, six case studies were carried out to assess the validity of 10 often heard assumed disadvantages of natural ventilation in offices, including poor IAQ and thermal discomfort. The case studies included a methodic comparison of six buildings based on literature, interviews, field measurements and re-analysis of reports by others. Thus the preconditions for natural ventilation of office buildings and the most important design features could be determined in order to meet the performance standards as in use in the Netherlands.

A design procedure of material and hybrid ventilation systems is described. It includes a climate suitability analysis, a loop equation design method and a detailed multizone coupled thermal-airflow analysis using CONTAM97R software.

There has been lack of fact based knowledge for design and operation of supply air jilter for general ventilation. An Invent multi-component project was started in 1994 to tackle this problem area. The paper describes the basic performances of air filters and requirements to be included in the Design Guide Handbook, managed by Invent, Finland.

A number of new techniques have been developed in recent years, by various researchers, to assist in the sizing and positioning of natural ventilation openings. These may be of considerable assistance in the natural ventilation design process, while still allowing architectural freedom. This paper reviews some of the available techniques. The complexity of the configurations accounted for by the procedures ranges from two openings with the indoor air at a uniform temperature to a technique that allows for multiple openings throughout a multi-zone structure.

Commentary on a seminar which focused on performance standard related aspects of ventilation design. Covers international perspectives on ventilation standards; minimising pollutant at air intakes; and "Probe" case studies.