This paper reports on the experimental results using a standard room chamber to evaluate the impact of various parameters on indoor radon concentrations. The paper assesses the suitability of using pro-existing mathematical models for the prediction of indoor Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) to estimate radon concentrations in the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HV AC) environment. A test chamber study was conducted to thoroughly evaluate and validate parameters considered in these models.
Full-scale experiments were made in a displacement ventilated room with two breathing thermal manikins to study the effect of movements and breathing on the vertical contaminant distribution, and on the personal exposure of occupants. Concentrations were measured with tracer gas equipment in the room and in the inhalation of both manikins. Tracer gas was added in the heat plume above a sitting manikin, or in the exhalation through either the nose or the mouth. The other manikin moved back and forth at different speeds on a low trolley.
Two series of formaldehyde concentration measurements were conducted on the first storey of a medium size, three-storey, naturally ventilated office building. In this building, due to extensive renovations, a variety of formaldehyde containing materials were used. In the first data set, just after the end of work, values of up to 0.4 ppm were recorded. Higher concentrations were encountered in the internal rooms. In the second data set, nearly one month later, formaldehyde concentrations did not exceed 0.2 ppm.
Mechanical ventilation systems, designed to meet ASHRAE's Standard 62-1989 and to modify building pressures, were installed in two New Mexico elementary schools to reduce elevated levels of indoor radon, carbon dioxide, and airborne particles. Although the systems did not meet design conditions for outdoor air delivery, ventilation rates were increased by factors of 2 to 4 over pre-existing natural ventilation rates, and levels of indoor air pollutants were significantly reduced.
Thermal performance of the floor-supply displacement ventilation system was evaluated in a large climatic chamber designed to simulate a single span of an office building. Detailed measurements were conducted to determine the indoor environment and skin temperature of a thermal manikin Temperature gradient in the room could be kept smaller, compared to conventional wall-supply unit displacement ventilation system, owing to the floor cooling effect of the floor-supply system.
Night cooling is an established technique allowing ventilation to take place at night with the intention of removing heat gains that have built up during the preceding day. By permitting the cool night air to flow through a building, heat is removed and a store of the cool air within the building fabric, furniture and fittings is achieved thus providing a cooling effect the following day.
This report is the third in a series produced for project 11621 "Night Cooling Control Strategies". The first report was a literature review of night cooling techniques, the second report detailed the results from case study buildings that were monitored in 1995 and this report includes the results of dynamic thermal simulation. APACHE thermal simulation software was used to model a basic representation of one of the case study buildings.
The subject of this study was the indoor air quality of schools with natural ventilation in La Coruna (Spain). We took as reference the C02 H2O and CO contents of both the indoor and outdoor air. In both cases the monitoring was carried out over a 48 hour period using a photoacoustic infra-red spectroscopy multi-gas monitor. The outdoor air quality was seen to be good.
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