Full scale modelling of indoor air flows.

As a result of the "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS) the confidence of operators of office buildings into HVAC technologies has suffered a considerable drop. One of the most urgent questions before reconstructing or renovating old office buildings is, therefore, whether the air conditioning system to be installed will lead to increasing complaints on behalf of the occupants and how to prevent them. As for indoor air flows, one possibility is given by full scale model experiments leading to results which are very much like the future effective values. The poster presents the modelling of indoor air flows in an office room. The model chamber, and the monitoring of the measurements are explained. The measured parameters are temperature and air velocity during an extremely hot summer day and an extremely cold winter day, respectively. All measurements were carried out under almost real conditions, ie. the model chamber was equipped with office furniture and thermal loads were introduced into the room An additional advantage of this kind of experiments is that operators, architects, designers, work committee members etc. can have a look at the office rooms in the planning stage so that possible changes can easily be decided and carried out.