We have investigated the effect of UVC on IAQ in a ventilation plant in a typical office building. The UVC-system consisted of UVC-lights for irradiation on all central components in the air handling unit. A similar ventilation plant, but without UVC, was chosen as a reference plant. Microorganisms on surfaces, living airborne mould spores and MVOC (Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds) were sampled throughout the ventilation plant and in corresponding rooms before and after UVC-irradiation. In addition, parallel measurements in the reference plant were conducted.
The objective of this study has been to clarify to what extent ozone (O3) and O3 /limonene in interaction with surface materials has an impact on the indoor air quality in typical low-polluting offices at realistic outdoor air change rates. Three similar offices furnished with the same materials and ventilated with charcoal filtered outdoor air were used in the study. Eight environmental conditions with different realistic combinations of air change rate, O3 and limonene levels were studied.
The effect on Indoor Air quality of painting at home has been debated. This paper presents a case study where a normal Scandinavian two-bedroom apartment has been refurnished with new paint on the walls and ceilings and the VOC emissions have been measured during eight weeks. Low-emitting wall and ceiling paint was selected for the study and a paint shop rolled two layers of new paint on the walls and ceilings in two rooms. Parallell the paints were applied to glass plates according to the Scandinavian trade standard and investigated with the FLEC method in the laboratory.
This paper presents a number of advantages (both practical and thermodynamic) of ceiling heating systems compared to under-floor heating. It is estimated that the heat flux from ceiling heating is approximately the same as under-floor heating: the larger exposed surface of the ceiling, and the lower thermal resistance between the water in the pipes and the ceiling surface, compensate for the lower convective heat flux from the ceiling. Using the same water temperature in the pipes, the total heat flux from ceiling heating will be similar to that of under-floor heating.
This paper presents the configuration and some experimental performance data for an improved, custom designed heat recovery & air conditioning retrofitting system, developed for a hospital located in a Canadian cold-climate environment. The two-stage heat recovery system includes a conventional glycol heat exchanger and a prototype of a reversible air-to-air heat pump between the exhaust and the fresh air streams.
Natural convection, which arises around an occupant by his own metabolic heat, plays an important role in convection heat dissipation of the body in a room environment. The present research aimed at to know how local airflow penetrates through the natural convection layer, how it is perceived at a body surface, and finally causes sensations of warmth and air motion. As a basic study of it, horizontal local airflow was directed at the representative two locations on subjects surfaces, which are the back of the neck and the left side of the ankle.
The paper presents a numerical study on the airflow within a single-sided heated room with a large vertical opening, with and without interaction of an air curtain. The influence of temperature differences between the heated wall and the exterior on the inflow has been investigated. Also how an air curtain, with different inlet velocities and widths, affect the flow and thermal patterns in the room have been examined. The RNG k-e turbulence model is used for capturing the fluid flow and heat transfer in the building and through the opening.
The aim of this study was to find out the effectiveness of equipment used to prevent cold air flows in the wind boxes of commercial buildings and super markets. Measurements were carried out in 14 buildings at the total of 42 work sites. The effectiveness of the equipment used to prevent cold air flows in wind boxes was insufficient. The measurements showed that temperature changes and air flows can reach even beyond than 10 m from the wind box and create serious local draft at work sites.
As part of the European SAVE project ENPER, an international workshop on the implementation of the European Energy Performance Directive (EPD) was organised in Brussels on May, 19. Some 115 delegates from 21 countries attended this workshop. This directive obliges the Member states as well as the 10 candidate members to implement a range of regulatory measures regarding the energy performance assessment and certification of buildings. Presentations were made by the people listed above in the author grid.
A 64 page guide on building-integrated ventilation solutions has just been published in Norway. It is the culmination of 4 years of evaluation and experience from modern buildings, mainly schools with different forms of building-integrated ventilation systems.
This guide gives tentative conclusions about alternative system designs.