VENTILATION

Ventilation is the process of supplying and removing air by

natural/Artificial (Mechanical means) to and from air
source/any space.
Change of air in a room is a must to maintain the tempt limits
inside buildings and to remove vitiated by product of
respiration, bacteria , unpleasant odour.
Otherwise : Nausea
Headache
Sleepiness
Laziness
Inattentiveness
Fresh air for breathing is a must.
Thus ventilation is necessary for:
o Creation of Air movement
oPreventing undue accumulation of CO2
 o Preventing flammable concentration of gas vapour
o Preventing accumulation of dust and bacteria-carrying particles.
o Preventing odour caused by decomposition of building materials
o Removal of body heat generated /liberated by occupants.
o Preventing condensation /deposition of moisture on wall surface.
o Preventing suffocation conditions in public halls/rooms
Natural ventilation:
a) Wind driven ventilation :
Wind pressures are usually far greater (1 Pa to 35 Pa).
b) Stack(buoyancy) ventilation:
The pressures generated are quite low (typical values: 0.3 Pa to 3 Pa
Functional requirements of ventilation System.
Air Changes/Air Movement
Humidity
Quality of air(Purity)
Temperature
Air Changes /Air Movement and rate of supply of fresh air:
Min 01/Hr Maximum 60/ Hr Average : 5/6 /Hr
Should be uniform, not allow formation of pockets of stagnant air:
Air Space per Person (m3 ) Fresh air supply per person (m3 / Hr)
5.5 28.5
8.5 20.5
11.0 and upwards 17.0
As per IS 3362:1965(a) Residential Buildings )
Living Room and Bed Room : 03 per Hour
Kitchen : 03 per Hour
Bath room and Water Closet: 03 per Hour
Passages : ---------
b) Public Buildings
Type of building Min rate of Fresh Air
1.Assembly halls canteens shops, restaurants 30 m3 / person/Hr
2.Factories and workshops 25 m3 / person/Hr
3.Hospitals (OT) : 10 air changes/Hr Wards : 03 air changes/Hr
4. Schools (space : 5-8 m3 per person) 20-30 m3 / person/Hr
Humidity : Relative: Amt of water vapour present in air to amt of water vapour if the air
were saturated at the same tempt.(33-70 % at working of 21 deg centigrade).
For higher tempt , low humidity and greater air movements are must for removing greater
portion of heat from the body.
Quality of Air (Purity):Should be free from suspended impurities(< 0.5 mg /
m3 ) /odours /organic matter /inorganic dust/unhealthy fumes of gases: CO 2 (= .06 % -
vitiated ; .09-.10 ,Stuffy unbearable ) / CO /SO2. (< 0.5 ppm) Ventilating system should not
be situated near Chimney/Kitchen/latrines / Urinals etc.
Temperature: General tempt difference bet inside air and outside air not . 8 0 c
Effective Tempt : An index which combines into a single value, the effect of air
movement , humidity and temperature. It is a tempt of air at which a person will
experience sensation of same degree of cold or warmth as in quite air fully saturated .
At the same tempt. For human comfort the value depends upon :
Type of activity, Geographical conditions, Age of occupant, Amount of heat loss from
body.
Effective Tempt in Summer 22 0 c , in Winter 20 0 c
a) Wind driven ventilation:
The static pressure of air is the pressure in a free-flowing air stream and
is depicted by isobars in weather maps.
Wind = Differences in static pressure arise from global and
microclimate thermal phenomena and create the air flow .
Dynamic pressure is the pressure exerted when the wind comes into
contact with an object such as a hill or a building.It is related to the air
density and the square of the wind speed.
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.
Building shape is crucial in creating the wind pressures that will drive air
flow through its apertures.
Wind Pressure and Suction zone:
Typical rules of thumb:
Harnessing the power of wind for the purpose of natural
ventilation are:
 Building location and orientation
 Building form and dimensions
 Window typologies and operation
 Other aperture types (doors, chimneys)
 Construction methods and detailing (infiltration)
 External elements (walls, screens)
 Urban planning conditions
Benefits of Wind driven ventilation :
Greater magnitude and effectiveness
Readily available (natural occurring force)
Relatively economic implementation
User friendly (when provisions for control are provided to
occupants)
Limitations of wind driven ventilation:
Unpredictable and unreliable due constant change
Design restrictions 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 strong, draughts, discomfort
b) Stack driven ventilation:
Stack effect is temperature induced. 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 steam.
Buoyancy occurs due to a difference in indoor-to-outdoor air
density resulting from temperature and moisture differences.
The result is either a positive or negative buoyancy force. The
greater the thermal difference and the height of the
structure, the greater the buoyancy force, and thus the stack
effect. The stack effect is also referred to as the "chimney
effect", and it helps drive natural ventilation
Forced stack effect in a building takes place in a traditional fire
place. Passive stack ventilators are common in most bathrooms
and other type of spaces without direct access to the outdoors
Buildings are not totally sealed (at the very minimum, there is
always a ground level entrance).
During the heating season, the warmer indoor air rises up through
the building and escapes at the top either through open windows,
ventilation openings, or leakage. The rising warm air reduces the
pressure in the base of the building, forcing cold air to infiltrate
through either open doors, windows, or other openings and
leakage. During the cooling season, the stack effect is reversed,
but is typically weaker due to lower temperature differences.
Modern high-rise building with a well-sealed envelope, the stack
effect creates significant pressure differences that must be given
design consideration and needs to be addressed with mechanical
ventilation.
Stairwells, shafts, elevators, and the like, tend to contribute to the
stack effect, whereas interior partitions, floors, and fire
separations can mitigate it. Especially in case of fire, the stack
effect needs to be controlled to prevent the spread of smoke.
The driving force for the stack effect
Pressure difference ( ΔP ) is the driving force:

where: ΔP = available pressure difference, in Pa

C = 0.0342 a = atmospheric pressure, in Pa
h = height or distance, in m
To = absolute outside temperature, in K
Ti = absolute inside temperature, in K
The equations apply only to buildings where air is both inside and
outside the buildings. For buildings with one or two floors, h is the
height of the building. For multi-floor, high-rise buildings, h is the
distance from the openings at the neutral pressure level (NPL) of the
building to either the topmost openings or the lowest openings.
Flue gas stacks and chimneys, where air is on the outside and
combustion flue gases are on the inside, the equations will only provide
an approximation and h is the height of the flue gas stack or chimney.
Stack effect increases with greater temperature difference
and increased height between the higher and lower
apertures.
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 air pressure will be positive and
air will rise. Below the neutral plane the air pressure will be
negative and external air will be drawn into the space.
Benefits of Stack driven ventilation:
Does not rely on wind: can take place on still, hot summer
days when it is most needed.
 Natural occurring force (hot air rises)
 Relatively stable air flow (compared to wind)method
 Greater control in choosing areas of air intake Sustainable
Limitations of stack driven ventilation:
Lower magnitude compared to wind ventilation
 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
Estimating Natural Ventilation
The natural ventilation flow rate can be estimated with this
equation:

where:
QS = Stack vent airflow rate, m³/s
= cross-sectional area of opening, m² (assumes
A
equal area for inlet and outlet)
= Discharge coefficient for opening (usually
Cd
taken to be from 0.65 to 0.70)
g = gravitational acceleration, 9.807 m/s²
= Height from midpoint of lower opening to
Hd
neutral pressure level (NPL), m
= location/s in the building envelope with no
NPL
pressure difference between inside and outside
(ASHRAE 2001, p.26.11)
= Average indoor temperature between the inlet
TI
and outlet, K
TO = Outdoor temperature, K