scholarly journals Comfort IAQ – a new tool to simulate the indoor particulate matter pollution in relation to the chosen supply air filter quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 02024
Author(s):  
Tobias Zimmer
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Test Chamber ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Good Tool ◽  
Air Filter ◽  
The Impact

Many factors are rather well known for their ability to create a good indoor air climate, but when it comes to airborne particles, there is no great deal of documentation to consult and set requirements. Nor are there much of other specific guidelines. The new, product-neutral and free online calculation tool Comfort IAQ helps to understand the mechanisms behind IAQ and gives a good indication on what would be the impact on indoor air quality (IAQ) due to air exchange, outdoor air environment, air filter selection and building envelope characteristics. Comfort IAQ allows to simulate the concentrations of Particulate Matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) in a specific ventilated room, depending on the chosen supply air filter quality. To model the room and the supply air conditions in a realistic way, Comfort IAQ allows to define besides outdoor air conditions (ODA) also the room dimensions, the air changes, the recirculation air rate as well as the supply air filter quality (based on ISO 16890, EN779 or ASHRAE 52.2). Based on these values, the Comfort IAQ tool provides an estimation of the indoor particle concentration and gives engineers and planers a good tool to optimize the Indoor Air Quality, by choosing the best combinations of supply air filter qualities and ventilation rates for a specific application. The algorithms in the online tool Comfort IAQ have been developed by Lars Ekberg, (Docent-installallationsteknik, Chalmers Tekniska Högskola) and the accuracy of the calculations was verified by comparing them with measurements in a full-scale test chamber.

scholarly journals The Way of Usage and Location in a Big City Agglomeration as Impact Factors of the Nurseries Indoor Air Quality

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7534
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Basińska ◽  
Katarzyna Ratajczak ◽  
Michał Michałkiewicz ◽  
Paweł Fuć ◽  
Maciej Siedlecki
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Pm2.5 And Pm10 ◽  
The Impact

The quality of outdoor air in many places, especially in urbanized areas, is bad; therefore, a series of studies aimed at assessing the impact of outdoor air parameters on indoor air quality was conducted. Four nurseries (three buildings) located in different parts of Poznań, Poland were selected as research sites. During the research period, the concentrations of CO2, PM2.5, and PM10 inside and outside the buildings over time were analyzed. Measurements outside the buildings were supplemented with an analysis of traffic near nurseries and an assessment of pollutant emissions from vehicles of various categories. Measurements were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in a weekly series during winter (December)—(W), spring (April)—(S), and at the end of spring (June)—(LS). Testing and analyses indicated poor indoor air quality in three out of four nurseries. To ensure indoor air quality at the proper level, it is necessary to supply rooms with outside air. Ventilating rooms by airing, when the outside air is polluted, reduces the CO2 concentration but worsens the indoor air quality in terms of particulate matter (PM). Seasonality in the concentration of particulate matter in outdoor air and its connection with the outside air temperature was noticed. No relationship between traffic and the values of PM10 and CO2 concentrations inside nurseries was observed.

scholarly journals Investigation of outdoor air pollutant, PM2.5 affecting the indoor air quality in a high-rise building

2021 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2110382
Author(s):  
Nuodi Fu ◽  
Moon Keun Kim ◽  
Bing Chen ◽  
Stephen Sharples
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Air Filter ◽  
High Rise ◽  
High Rise Building ◽  
Air Infiltration ◽  
The Impact

This study investigated the impact of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality in a high-rise building, considering factors related to the seasons and air infiltration. Further, the impact of atmospheric weather conditions on air infiltration has been analysed in a downtown area of Suzhou, China. The influence of the outdoor air pollution rate on indoor air quality in the office building was investigated based on on-site measurements and computer simulations. Results showed that the impact of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality was highest in winter, followed by spring, autumn and summer. Furthermore, multiple factors, which affect the indoor air quality in a high-rise building, have been further investigated in this study, including stack effect, wind effect, infiltration rate, outdoor air pollution rate, seasonal change and air filter efficiency. The significant influence of these factors on the indoor air quality level with floor height variations has been verified. Based on the analysis, a high-efficiency filter is recommended to maintain healthy indoor air quality. Meanwhile, a double-filter system is required if a building is exposed to heavily polluted outdoor air considering the most substantial impact of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality in winter. Moreover, a numerical model of steady-state indoor PM2.5 concentration was established to determine the suitable air filter efficiency and airtightness.

scholarly journals Air Enthalpy as an IAQ Indicator in Hot and Humid Environment—Experimental Evaluation

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Piasecki ◽  
Krystyna Kostyrko ◽  
Małgorzata Fedorczak-Cisak ◽  
Katarzyna Nowak
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Test Chamber ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Experimental Function ◽  
Experimental Values ◽  
The Impact

The authors studied the impact of indoor air humidity in the range of 60% to 90% on building user perception in the temperature range of 26 to 28 °C. The research thesis was put forward that the impact of humidity on indoor air quality dissatisfaction of building users in a warm and humid indoor environment is greater than that indicated in thermal comfort models. The presented experiment examined the indoor air quality perception of n = 28 subjects in the test chamber of a nearly zero energy building under ten environmental conditions, together with a thermal comfort assessment. The authors developed an experimental relation for predicting building users’ satisfaction based on the Weber–Fechner law, where the predicted percentage of dissatisfied users (PD) is determined by means of air enthalpy (h), PD = f(h). The obtained results confirmed the sated thesis. Additionally, the intersection points of the experimental function and isotherms resulting from the Fanger model are presented, where the thermal comfort assessment starts to indicate lower user dissatisfaction results than experimental values. The authors recommend the experimental equation for humid air enthalpies in the range of 50 to 90 kJ/kg. The indoor air quality assessment based on the enthalpy value is simple and can be used to determine the overall Indoor Environmental Quality index of a building (IEQindex).

scholarly journals Improving the Indoor Air Quality of Residential Buildings during Bushfire Smoke Events

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Priyadarsini Rajagopalan ◽  
Nigel Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Air Cleaners ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Design Selection ◽  
The Impact

Exposure to bushfire smoke is associated with acute and chronic health effects such as respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Residential buildings are important places of refuge from bushfire smoke, however the air quality within these locations can become heavily polluted by smoke infiltration. Consequently, some residential buildings may offer limited protection from exposure to poor air quality, especially during extended smoke events. This paper evaluates the impact of bushfire smoke on indoor air quality within residential buildings and proposes strategies and guidance to reduce indoor levels of particulates and other pollutants. The paper explores the different monitoring techniques used to measure air pollutants and assesses the influence of the building envelope, filtration technologies, and portable air cleaners used to improve indoor air quality. The evaluation found that bushfire smoke can substantially increase the levels of pollutants within residential buildings. Notably, some studies reported indoor levels of PM2.5 of approximately 500µg/m3 during bushfire smoke events. Many Australian homes are very leaky (i.e., >15 ACH) compared to those in countries such as the USA. Strategies such as improving the building envelope will help reduce smoke infiltration, however even in airtight homes pollutant levels will eventually increase over time. Therefore, the appropriate design, selection, and operation of household ventilation systems that include particle filtration will be critical to reduce indoor exposures during prolonged smoke events. Future studies of bushfire smoke intrusion in residences could also focus on filtration technologies that can remove gaseous pollutants.

Indoor and Outdoor Air Contaminants Coupling Relationship and Measures of Improving Indoor Air Quality

2012 ◽  
Vol 178-181 ◽  
pp. 711-717
Author(s):  
Shi Bin Geng ◽  
Ming Xing Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
Air Purification ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Air Contaminants ◽  
Air Filter ◽  
Coupling Relationship ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

This article use several different physical models to describe coupling relationship between indoor and outdoor air contaminants ,analysis the principle of the air filter air purification, discuss all the filters’ roles in improving IAQ.

scholarly journals Effects of Climatic Conditions, Season and Environmental Factors on CO2 Concentrations in Naturally Ventilated Primary Schools in Chile

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4139
Author(s):  
Muriel Diaz ◽  
Mario Cools ◽  
Maureen Trebilcock ◽  
Beatriz Piderit-Moreno ◽  
Shady Attia
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Co2 Concentrations ◽  
The Impact

Between the ages of 6 and 18, children spend between 30 and 42 h a week at school, mostly indoors, where indoor environmental quality is usually deficient and does not favor learning. The difficulty of delivering indoor air quality (IAQ) in learning facilities is related to high occupancy rates and low interaction levels with windows. In non-industrialized countries, as in the cases presented, most classrooms have no mechanical ventilation, due to energy poverty and lack of normative requirements. This fact heavily impacts the indoor air quality and students’ learning outcomes. The aim of the paper is to identify the factors that determine acceptable CO2 concentrations. Therefore, it studies air quality in free-running and naturally ventilated primary schools in Chile, aiming to identify the impact of contextual, occupant, and building design factors, using CO2 concentration as a proxy for IAQ. The monitoring of CO2, temperature, and humidity revealed that indoor air CO2 concentration is above 1400 ppm most of the time, with peaks of 5000 ppm during the day, especially in winter. The statistical analysis indicates that CO2 is dependent on climate, seasonality, and indoor temperature, while it is independent of outside temperature in heated classrooms. The odds of having acceptable concentrations of CO2 are bigger when indoor temperatures are high, and there is a need to ventilate for cooling.

scholarly journals Window operation behaviour and indoor air quality during lockdown: A monitoring-based simulation-assisted study in London

2021 ◽  
pp. 014362442110177
Author(s):  
Farhang Tahmasebi ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Elizabeth Cooper ◽  
Daniel Godoy Shimizu ◽  
Samuel Stamp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Probabilistic Models ◽  
Performance Model ◽  
Outdoor Environment ◽  
Ventilation Strategies ◽  
The Impact

The Covid-19 outbreak has resulted in new patterns of home occupancy, the implications of which for indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy use are not well-known. In this context, the present study investigates 8 flats in London to uncover if during a lockdown, (a) IAQ in the monitored flats deteriorated, (b) the patterns of window operation by occupants changed, and (c) more effective ventilation patterns could enhance IAQ without significant increases in heating energy demand. To this end, one-year’s worth of monitored data on indoor and outdoor environment along with occupant use of windows has been used to analyse the impact of lockdown on IAQ and infer probabilistic models of window operation behaviour. Moreover, using on-site CO2 data, monitored occupancy and operation of windows, the team has calibrated a thermal performance model of one of the flats to investigate the implications of alternative ventilation strategies. The results suggest that despite the extended occupancy during lockdown, occupants relied less on natural ventilation, which led to an increase of median CO2 concentration by up to 300 ppm. However, simple natural ventilation patterns or use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery proves to be very effective to maintain acceptable IAQ. Practical application: This study provides evidence on the deterioration of indoor air quality resulting from homeworking during imposed lockdowns. It also tests and recommends specific ventilation strategies to maintain acceptable indoor air quality at home despite the extended occupancy hours.

The impact of mechanical ventilation operation strategies on indoor CO2 concentration and air exchange rates in residential buildings

2020 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2096076
Author(s):  
Pedro F. Pereira ◽  
Nuno M. M. Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Exchange Rates ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Ventilation Strategy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mechanical Extraction ◽  
Air Exchange

In Portugal, residential buildings commonly have their ventilation strategy changed after commissioning. This occurs due to the building managers' willingness to reduce shared costs with the electricity needed for fan operation. However, this option is not technically supported, and the effects of such a strategy on indoor air quality-related to human pollutants are yet to be quantified. CO2 was monitored in 15 bedrooms and air exchange rates were calculated for each room. The air exchange rate values ranged from 0.18 to 0.53 h−1 when mechanical extraction ventilation was off, and from 0.45 to 0.90 h−1 when mechanical extraction ventilation was on, which represents an average increase of 119%. With the current intermittent ventilation strategy, all rooms remain above 1500 ppm for a given percentage of time, and 12 rooms presenting CO2 concentrations above 2000 ppm. Simulations of theoretical CO2 concentrations, for a non-interrupted mechanical ventilation strategy show that no rooms would accumulate CO2 concentrations above 2000 ppm, and only 25% would present CO2 concentrations above 1500 ppm. Pearson correlations between the monitored CO2 and human and spatial factors identified two relevant parameters. Those parameters correspond to ratios between CO2 generation and floor area ([Formula: see text]), and airflow with CO2 generation ([Formula: see text]). The proposed ratios could be used as ways to optimise ventilation costs and indoor air quality.

scholarly journals Effect of Air Purifier Use in the Classrooms on Indoor Air Quality—Case Study

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1606
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Basińska ◽  
Michał Michałkiewicz ◽  
Katarzyna Ratajczak
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Air Purification ◽  
Portable Devices ◽  
Microscopic Fungi ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Air Purifier ◽  
High Level

Dissatisfaction with indoor air quality is common even in relatively new or renovated Polish school buildings. To improve air quality in educational buildings, portable devices have seen increased use, for which manufacturers guarantee a high level of indoor air purification. However, their optimized operation largely depends on their correct use. The aim of this article was to determine the effectiveness of air purification in a primary school using an air purification device with an analysis of the classroom indoor air quality (IAQ). Two criteria were used, microbiological and particulate matter concentration. Measurements were made before device installation and during its continuous operation, and before and after lessons on chosen days. Measurements related to IAQ did not detect clear differences in the analyzed measurement periods. For microbiological contamination, in the morning before lessons, the total count for all bacteria and microscopic fungi was definitely lower than after lessons. Comparing the periods before and after device installation, no clear tendency for reducing the bacteria count or microscopic fungi occurred during air purifier operation, nor was there any noticeable trend in the reduction of particulate matter. There was no improvement in air quality in the classrooms during the operation of the purification devices.

scholarly journals Indoor air quality improvement and purification by atmospheric pressure Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prince Junior Asilevi ◽  
Patrick Boakye ◽  
Sampson Oduro-Kwarteng ◽  
Bernard Fei-Baffoe ◽  
Yen Adams Sokama-Neuyam
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Thermal Plasma ◽  
Processing Parameters ◽  
Optimum Conditions ◽  
Non Thermal Plasma ◽  
The Impact

AbstractNon-thermal plasma (NTP) is a promising technology for the improvement of indoor air quality (IAQ) by removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through advanced oxidation process (AOP). In this paper, authors developed a laboratory scale dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor which generates atmospheric NTP to study the removal of low-concentration formaldehyde (HCHO), a typical indoor air VOC in the built environment associated with cancer and leukemia, under different processing conditions. Strong ionization NTP was generated between the DBD electrodes by a pulse power zero-voltage switching flyback transformer (ZVS-FBT), which caused ionization of air molecules leading to active species formation to convert HCHO into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). The impact of key electrical and physical processing parameters i.e. discharge power (P), initial concentration (Cin), flow rate (F), and relative humidity (RH) which affect the formaldehyde removal efficiency (ɳ) were studied to determine optimum conditions. Results show that, the correlation coefficient (R2) of removal efficiency dependence on the processing parameters follow the order R2 (F) = 0.99 > R2 (RH) = 0.96, > R2 (Cin) = 0.94 > R2 (P) = 0.93. The removal efficiency reached 99% under the optimum conditions of P = 0.6 W, Cin = 0.1 ppm, F = 0.2 m3/h, and RH = 65% with no secondary pollution. The study provided a theoretical and experimental basis for the application of DBD plasma for air purification in the built environment.

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