temperature gradients

Ventilation in buildings dilutes the indoor air pollutants by replacing part of the air with outdoor air to guarantee an adequate indoor air quality (IAQ). In heating-dominated climates, the exchanged air has a lower mean temperature than the indoor air, which leads to a surplus heating demand in the building. A heat exchanger recovers part of the heat from the expelled air, contributing to the reduction of the extra heating demand. Smart ventilation systems work with reduced airflows, without compromising the IAQ and lowering the heating demand.

We examine transient displacement flows in naturally ventilated spaces that are subject to an increase in internal heat gains as in, for example, an empty lecture theatre which is then occupied by an audience. Heat gains create a layer of warm air at the ceiling which initially increases in depth and temperature, and descends towards the occupied regions. A theoretical model is developed to predict the time-dependent movement of the interface that separates the warm upper and cool lower layers of air, and comparisons are made with the results of laboratory experiments.