Ventilation

Ventilation is the process by which fresh

air is introduced and used air is removed
from an occupied space.
 Function of ventilation

1. Supply of fresh air

2. Convective cooling
3. Physiological cooling
 1. Supply of fresh air
• The main function of ventilation is the
supply of fresh air.
• Apart from providing the needed oxygen
for survival or removal of odors, the supply
of fresh air produces a sensation of
comfort.
• The rate of fresh air supply depends on:
– The type of occupancy
– The number and activity of the occupants
• Minimum rate of supply of fresh air under
normal sedentary condition is 0.45 m3
/min/person.
• The recommended air change varies between
3-12 per hour in a residential building.( the
lower value is applicable to living and bed
rooms and higher value to kitchens.)
• Grilles or air bricks built into a wall or may be
incorporated with windows can be used as
permanent ventilators.
 2.Convective cooling
• It is a type of passive cooling system.
• If the indoor air temperature is higher than outer
temperature, the exchange of indoor air with
fresh out door air can provide cooling effect. This
system is called convective cooling.
• This system is more practical in moderate or
cold climates, when the internal heat gain(Qi) is
causing a temperature increase.
• In warm climates , when the internal heat
gain(Qi) or solar heat gain through windows(QS)
would raise the indoor temperature even higher
than outdoor air temperature.
 3. Physiological cooling
• The movement of air past the skin surface
accelerates heat dissipation in two ways:
1. Increasing convective heat loss
2. Accelerating evaporation
• Due to cooling effect of air movement, the
higher temperature can be tolerated with
adequate air velocity. (Bioclimatic chart & ET nomograms).
• Cooling by air movement is most effective,
when there are other forms of heat dissipation
is not possible. (when the air is as warm as the skin and the
surrounding surfaces are also at a similar temperature.)
 System of ventilation
• There are mainly two systems
1. Natural ventilation
• Wind effect (pressure difference across the
building envelope)
• Stack effect (temperature difference between
indoor and outdoor air)
• Combination of both wind and stack effects.
2. Mechanical ventilation
 1. Natural ventilation
• Air motion caused by temperature or
pressure difference occurring in nature is
termed as natural ventilation.
• Pressure difference between inside and
outside of the building is the main factor of
air movement.
• The pressure difference is caused by:
– Wind effect
– Stack effect
– Combination of both wind and stack effect.
 Wind effect
• When air flow is due to wind force, air
enters through openings in the
windward walls, and leaves through
openings in the leeward walls.
• Air hits the windward side of the
building and creates a positive
pressure (+).
• At the same time air is sucked away
from the leeward side thus creating a
negative pressure. (-)
• Air deflecting around the sides will
generally create a negative pressure.
• These pressure are around the building
determine how air flows through the
building.
• The occurance and change of wind
pressure on building surfaces depend on
following factors:
1. Wind speed and wind direction relative to
building
2. The location and surrounding environment
of the building
3. Shape of the building.
 1. Wind speed and direction
• Wind exert maximum pressure when
they are perpendicular to a surface
and the pressure is reduced about
50%, when the wind is at an oblique
angle of about 45°.
• However ,the indoor ventilation is
often better with the oblique winds
because they generates greater
turbulence indoor.
PERPENDICULAR WINDS

OBLIQUE WINDS
 2.Location and surrounding
• The wind velocity gradients may be
vary in different location.
– Urban center (100% wind gradient –
518m)
– Rough wooded country(100% wind
gradient -396m)
– Open country or sea.( 100% win
gradient- 274m)
Wind velocity gradients
 3.Shape of the building
• Air – although light has a mass (around
1.2 kg/m3).
• Air moves, has a momentum, which is
product of mass and its velocity.
–MxV
– Kg x m/s
• This is a vectorial quantity, which can be
changed in direction or in magnitude only
by another force.
• When moving air strikes an obstacle such
as a building, this will down the air flow but
the air flow will exert a pressure on the
obstructing surface.
• This pressure is proportionate to the air
velocity.
• It is expressed by the equation:
Pw = 0.612 x V2
Where, Pw – wind pressure, in N/m2
V – wind velocity, m/s
(0.612 – is the constant NS2/m4)
Air flow around the building
 (-) (-)

(-)

(-) (+)
(+)

1:4 SLOPE
FLAT ROOF

(+)
(-)
(-)

(+)
(+) (-)

1:2 SLOPE 1:1 SLOPE

The pressure on the leeward side of a roof is always negative, but on the
windward side it depends on the slope of the roof.
• The slowing down effects a roughly wedge
shaped mass of air on the windward side
of the building, which in turn diverts the
rest of the air flow upwards and sideways.
• A separation layer is formed between the
stagnant air and the building on the one
hand and the laminar air flow on the other
hand.
• The laminar air flow itself may be
accelerated at the obstacle, as the area
available for the flow is narrowed down by
the obstacle.
• At the separation layer, due to friction, the upper
surface of the stagnant air is moved forward,
thus a turbulence or vertex is developed.
• Due to its momentum, the laminar air flow tends
to maintain a straight path after it has been
diverted, therefore it will take some time to return
to the ground surface after the obstacle, to
occupy all the available ‘cross section’.
• Thus the stagnant mass of air is also formed on
the leeward side, but this is at a reduced
pressure.
• This is not quite stagnant: a vertex is formed, the
movement is light and variable and is often
known as ‘wind shadow’.
• Vortexes are formed wherever the laminar
flow is separated from the surfaces of solid
bodies.
• On the windward side such vortexes are at
an increased pressure and on the leeward
side at a reduced pressure.
• If the building has an opening facing a
high pressure zone and another facing a
low pressure zone, air movement will be
generated through the building.
 Stack effect
• The stack effect can exhaust air from
a building by the action of natural
convection.
• Stack effect relies on thermal forces,
set up by density difference (caused
by temperature differences) between
the indoor and out door air.
• It can occur through an open window
(when the air is still): the warmer and
lighter indoor air will flow out at the
top and cooler ,denser outdoor air will
flow in at the bottom.
• Special provision can be made for stack
effect in the form of ventilating shaft
(chimney shaft).
• The higher the shaft, the larger the cross
sectional area and greater the motive
force, therefore, the more air will be
moved.
• The motive force is the ‘stack pressure’
multiplied by the cross sectional area.
Motive force =Ps x A Nm2
Where, Ps – stack pressure
A – cross sectional area of the shaft.
• Stack pressure – it can be calculated
by following formula:
Ps = 0.042 x h x ΔT, N/m2
where, 0.042 – constant in N/m3 deg C
h – height of the shaft in m.
ΔT- temperature in deg C.
• Shafts are often used for the
ventilation of internal windowless
rooms( bathrooms and toilets) in
Europe.
• These system operates satisfactorily
under winter conditions when the
temperature difference is enough to
generate an adequate air flow.
Advantage:
• It doesn’t depend on wind.
Disadvantage:
• It is a very weak force and can not move
air quickly.