The IEA project on minimum ventilation rates. IEA-Projekt 'Minimale Luftungsraten'

The minimum fresh air requirements needed for perfect indoor air quality are being studied and these will form the basis of the Swiss Guidelines for Ventilation. An optimization between the need to reduce heat loss and fresh air requirements for health is the aim. Pollutants in indoor air, such as formaldehydes, radon, carbon dioxide, tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulates, have to be considered.

Multivariate model for predicting NO2 levels in residences based upon sources and source use

Diffusion-type passive monitors were placed for a two-week period in each of 303 residences in the New Haven (Conn.) area during a 12 week sampling period January to April 1983. For each home NO2 levels were recorded outdoors, and in three ro

Characterization of indoor air quality and "sick buildings"

Notes the increased attention being paid to "sick buildings" of the irritating type. Occupants complain of deteriorated indoor air and subtle medical symptoms that may be related to the indoor air. The problem seems to coincide with energy economising. To evaluate the actual quality of the air in a building it is necessary to conduct field studies with mobile investigation units, taking representative air samples for immediate sensory and chemical analysis.

Ventilation and landscaping. Design implications for hot humid climates

This paper explains the physics of air flow patterns, the aerodynamics of buildings and their implications for effective ventilation. Ventilation influenced design strategies of sunshading, daylighting and landscaping are discussed.

Computer analysis of building ventilation and heating problems

This paper presents a mathematical model, implemented in a general computer code, that can provide detailed information on the velocity and temperature fields prevailing in three-dimensional buildings of any geometrical complexity, for a given v

Research into air flows, heating systems and ventilation

Use of computers for simulation of air flows in buildings, leading to production of a mathematical model for analysing the stability of ventilation systems subjected to external forces, and for simulation of heating systems toproduce a mathematical model of heat release and water flow in radiator systems. Investigation of fire ventilation.

Application of the constant concentration technique for ventilation measurement to large buildings.

The British Gas 'Autovent' system utilises the constant concentration technique and was developed for measuring ventilation rates in dwellings. It has recently been used in two large open-plan buildings, a school nursery and a factory unit, and the opportunity was taken to carry out special tests to assess its validity in such buildings. The reason why these tests were needed, the nature of the tests and the results obtained form the main content of the paper. The evidence from the tests strongly indicates that the system is suitable.

Stability of body odour in enclosed spaces

Sedentary subjects occupied an environmental chamber (20-22 deg C, 35-50% RH) with low ventilation for 90 min. Judges (visitors) evaluated the odour of the chamber before and during, and after the 90-min period of occupancy. Odour intensity increased throughout occupancy and decayed afterwards. However, therate of decay exceeded that anticipated from ventilation rate alone. The results implied that body odour is unstable with a half-life of 55 min. This instability will influence quantitative requirements for ventilation during nonsmoking occupancy.

Case study of a sick building

Demonstrates that complaints by office staff about their physical environment are not necessarily caused by physical deficiencies. Trying to reduce the level of complaints by adjusting heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can therefore be an unrewarding task. Greater attention needs to be placed on - communications between management, those responsible for running HVAC systems and staff. Staff need the feeling that they can influence, if not control, their environment. Staff should also have more realistic expectations about their thermal comfort.

Indoor climate problems in a kindergarten, and how they were solved

An account is given of what the kindergarten staff wrongly believed caused the problems and what measures they carried out in an attempt to solve them. On the spot measurements showed however what the real main cause of the problems was. Results from the comprehensive measurements of CO2 concentrations andother ventilation performance criteria in a room occupied by 12 children and 3adults are then presented.

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