Natural ventilation

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The ventilation system of a regular earthship.

Dogtrot houses are designed to maximise natural ventilation.

Natural ventilation is the process of supplying air to and removing air from an indoor space without using
mechanical systems. It refers to the flow of external air to an indoor space as a result of pressure
differences arising from natural forces. There are two types of natural ventilation occurring in
buildings: wind driven ventilation and buoyancy-driven ventilation. Wind driven ventilation arises from the
different pressures created by wind around a building or structure, and openings being formed on the
perimeter which then permit flow through the building. Buoyancy-driven ventilation occurs as a result of the
directional buoyancy force that results from temperature differences between the interior and
exterior.[1] Since the internal heat gains which create temperature differences between the interior and
exterior are created by natural processes including the heat from people, and wind effects are variable,
naturally ventilated buildings are sometimes called "breathing buildings".

Process[edit]
The static pressure of air is the pressure in a free-flowing air stream and is depicted by isobars in weather maps.
Differences in static pressure arise from global and microclimate thermal phenomena and create the air flow we
call wind. Dynamic pressure is the pressure exerted when the wind comes into contact with an object such as a hill or
a building and it is described by the following equation:[2]

q=1/2pv²

where (using SI units):

= dynamic pressure in pascals,

= fluid density in kg/m3 (e.g. density of air),

= fluid velocity in m/s.

The impact of wind on a building affects the ventilation and infiltration rates through it and the associated
heat losses or heat gains. Wind speed increases with height and is lower towards the ground due to frictional
drag.
The impact of wind on the building form creates areas of positive pressure on the windward side of a building
and negative pressure on the leeward and sides of the building. Thus building shape and local wind patterns
are crucial in creating the wind pressures that will drive air flow through its apertures. In practical terms wind
pressure will vary considerably creating complex air flows and turbulence by its interaction with elements of
the natural environment (trees, hills) and urban context (buildings, structures). Vernacular and traditional
buildings in different climatic regions rely heavily on natural ventilation for maintaining thermal
comfort conditions in the enclosed spaces.[citation needed]

Design[edit]
Design guidelines are offered in building regulations and other related literature and include a variety of
recommendations on many specific areas such as:

 Building location and orientation

 Building form and dimensions
 Indoor partitions and layout
 Window typologies, operation, location, and shapes
 Other aperture types (doors, chimneys)
 Construction methods and detailing (infiltration)
 External elements (walls, screens)
 Urban planning conditions
The following design guidelines are selected from the Whole Building Design Guide, a program of
the National Institute of Building Sciences:[3]

 Maximize wind-induced ventilation by siting the ridge of a building perpendicular to the summer winds
 Widths of naturally ventilated zone should be narrow (max 13.7 m [45 feet])
 Each room should have two separate supply and exhaust openings. Locate exhaust high above inlet to
maximize stack effect. Orient windows across the room and offset from each other to maximize mixing
within the room while minimizing the obstructions to airflow within the room.
 Window openings should be operable by the occupants
 Consider the use of clerestories or vented skylights.

Wind driven ventilation[edit]

Wind driven ventilation can be classified as cross ventilation and single-sided ventilation. Wind driven
ventilation depends on wind behavior, on the interactions with the building envelope and on openings or
other air exchange devices such as inlets or chimneys. For a simple volume with two openings, the cross
wind flow rate can be calculated using the following equation:[4]
where is the far-field wind speed; is a local pressure drag coefficient for the building, defined at

the location of the upstream opening; is a local pressure drag coefficient for the building, defined at the

location of the downstream opening; is the cross-sectional area of the upstream opening; is the

cross-sectional area of the downstream opening; is the discharge coefficient of the upstream opening;

and is the discharge coefficient of the downstream opening.

For rooms with single opening, the calculation of ventilation rate is more complicated than cross-ventilation
due to the bi-directional flow and strong turbulent effect. The ventilation rate for single-sided ventilation can
be accurately predicted by combining different models for mean flow, pulsating flow and eddy penetration. [5]
The mean flow rate for single-sided ventilation is determined by

where
l = width of the window;
h = elevation of the top edge of the window;
z0 = elevation of neural level (where inside and outside pressure balance);
zref = reference elevation where the wind velocity is measured (at 10 m) and

= mean wind velocity at the reference elevation.

The knowledge of the urban climatology i.e. the wind around the buildings is crucial when evaluating the air
quality and thermal comfort inside buildings as air and heat exchange depends on the wind pressure on
facades. As we can see in the equation (1), the air exchange depends linearly on the wind speed in the
urban place where the architectural project will be built. CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) tools and
zonal modelings are usually used to design naturally ventilated buildings. Windcatchers are able to aid wind
driven ventilation by directing air in and out of buildings.
Some of the important limitations of wind driven ventilation:

 Unpredictability and difficulties in harnessing due to speed and direction variations

 The quality of air it introduces in buildings may be polluted for example due to proximity to an urban or
industrial area
 May create a strong draught, discomfort.

Buoyancy-driven ventilation[edit]
(For more details on displacement buoyancy-driven ventilation (rather than mixing type buoyancy-driven
ventilation), see Stack effect)
Buoyancy driven ventilation arise due to differences in density of interior and exterior air, which in large
part arises from differences in temperature. When there is a temperature difference between two
adjoining volumes of air the warmer air will have lower density and be more buoyant thus will rise above
the cold air creating an upward air stream. Forced upflow buoyancy driven ventilation in a building takes
place in a traditional fireplace. Passive stack ventilators are common in most bathrooms and other type
of spaces without direct access to the outdoors.
 In order for a building to be ventilated adequately via buoyancy driven ventilation, the inside and outside
temperatures must be different. When the interior is warmer than the exterior, indoor air rises and
escapes the building at higher apertures. If there are lower apertures then colder, denser air from the
exterior enters the building through them, thereby creating upflow displacement ventilation. However, if
there are no lower apertures present, then both in- and out-flow will occur through the high level
opening. This is called mixing ventilation. This latter strategy still results in fresh air reaching to low level,
since although the incoming cold air will mix with the interior air, it will always be more dense than the
bulk interior air and hence fall to the floor. Buoyancy-driven ventilation increases with greater
temperature difference, and increased height between the higher and lower apertures in the case of
displacement ventilation. When both high and low level openings are present, the neutral plane in a
building occurs at the location between the high and low openings at which the internal pressure will be
the same as the external pressure (in the absence of wind). Above the neutral plane, the internal air
pressure will be positive and air will flow out of any intermediate level apertures created. Below the
neutral plane the internal air pressure will be negative and external air will be drawn into the space
through any intermediate level apertues. Buoyancy-driven ventilation has several significant benefits:
{See Linden, P Annu Rev Fluid Mech, 1999}

 Does not rely on wind: can take place on still, hot summer days when it is most needed.
 Stable air flow (compared to wind)
 Greater control in choosing areas of air intake
 Sustainable method
Limitations of buoyancy-driven ventilation:

 Lower magnitude compared to wind ventilation on the windiest days

 Relies on temperature differences (inside/outside)
 Design restrictions (height, location of apertures) and may incur extra costs (ventilator stacks, taller
spaces)
 The quality of air it introduces in buildings may be polluted for example due to proximity to an urban
or industrial area (although this can also be a factor in wind-driven ventilation)
Natural ventilation in buildings can rely mostly on wind pressure differences in windy conditions, but
buoyancy effects can a) augment this type of ventilation and b) ensure air flow rates during still days.
Buoyancy-driven ventilation can be implemented in ways that air inflow in the building does not rely
solely on wind direction. In this respect it may provide improved air quality in some types of polluted
environments such as cities. For example air can be drawn through the backside or courtyards of
buildings avoiding the direct pollution and noise of the street facade. Wind can augment the buoyancy
effect but can also reduce its effect depending on its speed, direction and the design of air inlets and
outlets. Therefore prevailing winds must be taken into account when designing for stack effect
ventilation.

Estimating buoyancy-driven ventilation

The natural ventilation flow rate for buoyancy-driven natural ventilation with vents at two different heights can be
estimated with this equation:[4]

English units:
where:
QS = Buoyancy-driven ventilation airflow rate, ft³/s
A = cross-sectional area of opening, ft² (assumes equal area for inlet and outlet)
Cd = Discharge coefficient for opening (typical value is 0.65)
g = gravitational acceleration, around 32.2 ft/s² on Earth
Hd = Height from midpoint of lower opening to midpoint of upper opening, ft
TI = Average indoor temperature between the inlet and outlet, °R
TO = Outdoor temperature, °R
 SI units:
where:
QS = Buoyancy-driven ventilation airflow rate, m³/s
A = cross-sectional area of opening, m² (assumes equal area for inlet and outlet)
Cd = Discharge coefficient for opening (typical value is 0,62)
g = gravitational acceleration, around 9.81 m/s² on Earth
Hd = Height from midpoint of lower opening to midpoint of upper opening, m

TI = Average indoor temperature between the inlet and outlet, K

TO = Outdoor temperature, K

Assessing performance[edit]
One way to measure the performance of a naturally ventilated space is to measure the air changes per hour in an
interior space. In order for ventilation to be effective, there must be exchange between outdoor air and room air. A
common method for measuring ventilation effectiveness is to use a tracer gas.[6] The first step is to close all windows,
doors, and openings in the space. Then, a tracer gas is added to the air. The reference, American Society for Testing
and Materials (ASTM) Standard E741: Standard Test Method for Determining Air Change in a Single Zone by Means
of a Tracer Gas Dilution, describes which tracer gases can be used for this kind of testing and provides information
about the chemical properties, health impacts, and ease of detection.[7] Once the tracer gas has been added, mixing
fans can be used to distribute the tracer gas as uniformly as possible throughout the space. To do a decay test, the
concentration of the tracer gas is first measured when the concentration of the tracer gas is constant. Windows and
doors are then opened and the concentration of the tracer gas in the space is measured at regular time intervals to
determine the decay rate of the tracer gas. The airflow can be deduced by looking at the change in concentration of
the tracer gas over time. For further details on this test method, refer to ASTM Standard E741. [7]

Standards[edit]
For standards relating to ventilation rates, in the United States refer to ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010: Ventilation for
Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.[8] These requirements are for "all spaces intended for human occupancy except those
within single-family houses, multifamily structures of three stories or fewer above grade, vehicles, and aircraft."[8] In the
revision to the standard in 2010, Section 6.4 was modified to specify that most buildings designed to have systems to
naturally condition spaces must also "include a mechanical ventilation system designed to meet the Ventilation Rate
or IAQ procedures [in ASHRAE 62.1-2010]. The mechanical system is to be used when windows are closed due to
extreme outdoor temperatures noise and security concerns".[8] The standard states that two exceptions in which
naturally conditioned buildings do not require mechanical systems are when:

 Natural ventilation openings that comply with the requirements of Section 6.4 are permanently open or have
controls that prevent the openings from being closed during period of expected occupancy, or
 The zone is not served by heating or cooling equipment.
Also, an authority having jurisdiction may allow for the design of conditioning system that does not have a mechanical
system but relies only on natural systems.[8] In reference for how controls of conditioning systems should be designed,
the standard states that they must take into consideration measures to "properly coordinate operation of the natural
and mechanical ventilation systems."[8]
Another reference is ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2010: Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in low-
rise Residential Buildings.[9] These requirements are for "single-family houses and multifamily structures of three
stories or fewer above grade, including manufactured and modular houses," but is not applicable "to transient housing
such as hotels, motels, nursing homes, dormitories, or jails."[9]
For standards relating to ventilation rates, in the United States refer to ASHRAE Standard 55-2010: Thermal
Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy.[10] Throughout its revisions, its scope has been consistent with its
currently articulated purpose, “to specify the combinations of indoor thermal environmental factors and personal
factors that will produce thermal environmental conditions acceptable to a majority of the occupants within the
space.”[10] The standard was revised in 2004 after field study results from the ASHRAE research project, RP-884:
developing an adaptive model of thermal comfort and preference, indicated that there are differences between
naturally and mechanically conditioned spaces with regards to occupant thermal response, change in clothing,
availability of control, and shifts in occupant expectations.[11] The addition to the standard, 5.3: Optional Method For
Determining Acceptable Thermal Conditions in Naturally Ventilated Spaces, uses an adaptive thermal
comfort approach for naturally conditioned buildings by specifying acceptable operative temperature ranges for
naturally conditioned spaces.[10] As a result, the design of natural ventilation systems became more feasible, which
was acknowledged by ASHRAE as a way to further sustainable, energy efficient, and occupant-friendly design.[10]