scholarly journals Investigation of HVAC Operation Strategies for Office Buildings During COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cary A Faulkner ◽  
John E Castellini ◽  
Wangda Zuo ◽  
David M. Lorenzetti ◽  
Michael D Sohn
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Virus Concentration ◽  
Hvac System ◽  
Operational Cost ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Indoor Contaminants

To minimize the indoor transmission of contaminants, such as the virus that can lead to COVID-19, buildings must provide the best indoor air quality possible. Controlling indoor air quality is largely achieved by running the building’s HVAC system to dilute any concentration of indoor contaminants. However, doing so has practical downsides on the HVAC operation that are not always quantified in the literature. This paper develops a temporal simulation capability that is used to investigate the indoor virus concentration and operational cost of an HVAC system for two mitigation strategies: 1) supplying 100% outdoor air into the building and 2) using different HVAC filters, including MERV 10, ASHRAE minimum-recommended MERV 13, and highly rated HEPA filtration. These strategies are applied to a hypothetical medium office building consisting of five occupied zones and located in a cold and dry climate. We modeled the building using the Modelica Buildings library and developed new models for HVAC filtration and virus transmission to evaluate COVID-19 scenarios. We show that the ASHRAE-recommended MERV 13 filtration reduces the average virus concentration by about 10% when compared to MERV 10 filtration, with negligible additional operational cost. In contrast, the use of 100% outdoor air or HEPA filtration reduces the average indoor concentration by about an additional 3% compared to MERV 13 filtration, but significantly increases building operational cost. This is due to the significant increase in energy consumption when supplying 100%outdoor air and the higher cost of purchasing a HEPA filter.

scholarly journals Mitigation Strategies for Overheating and High Carbon Dioxide Concentration within Institutional Buildings: A Case Study in Toronto, Canada

Buildings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Tam ◽  
Yuqing Zhao ◽  
Zaiyi Liao ◽  
Lian Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Hvac System

Indoor air quality and thermal conditions are important considerations when designing indoor spaces to ensure occupant health, satisfaction, and productivity. Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and indoor air temperature are two measurable parameters to assess air quality and thermal conditions within a space. Occupants are progressively affected by the indoor environment as the time spent indoors prolongs. Specifically, there is an interest in carrying out investigations on the indoor environment through surveying existing Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) system operations in classrooms. Indoor air temperature and CO2 concentration in multiple lecture halls in Toronto, Canada were monitored; observations consistently show high indoor air temperature (overheating) and high CO2 concentration. One classroom is chosen as a representative case study for this paper. The results verify a strong correlation between the number of occupants and the increase in air temperature and CO2 concentration. Building Energy Simulation (BES) is used to investigate the causes of discomfort in the classroom, and to identify methods for regulating the temperature and CO2 concentration. This paper proposes retro-commissioning strategies that could be implemented in institutional buildings; specifically, the increase of outdoor airflow rate and the addition of occupancy-based pre-active HVAC system control. The proposed retrofit cases reduce the measured overheating in the classrooms by 2-3 °C (indoor temperature should be below 23 °C) and maintain CO2 concentration under 900 ppm (the CO2 threshold is 1000 ppm), showing promising improvements to a classroom’s thermal condition and indoor air quality.

scholarly journals Correlation amongst Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Carbon Dioxide

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. L. Sireesha
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Sick Building Syndrome ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ventilation Rate ◽  
Indoor Contaminants ◽  
Sick Building ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

The calculation of carbon dioxide (CO2)  intensities can be employed to see the quality of indoor air and ventilation. The studies undertaken till date have been distorted. The current study summaries the association amongst carbon dioxide and building air quality and ventilation, with carbon dioxide being the marker to evaluate air quality and ventilation performance. High carbon dioxide intensities may show insufficient ventilation per occupant and high indoor contaminants intensities, resulting in the Sick Building Syndrome (SBI) Symptoms. The researcher assessed the literature related to indoor air quality (IAQ), ventilation, and building-linked health issues in schools linked to CO2 discharges and recognised general indicated building-linked well-being signs found in schools. A high rise in the ventilation rate or enhancement in ventilation efficacy and/or indoor contaminant source regulation would be anticipated to reduce the occurrence of chosen signs to its optimum.

Assessment of microbiological indoor air quality in an Italian office building equipped with an HVAC system

2009 ◽  
Vol 161 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 473-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sa. Bonetta ◽  
Si. Bonetta ◽  
S. Mosso ◽  
S. Sampò ◽  
E. Carraro
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Hvac System

Numerical and Experimental Analysis on Indoor Thermal Environment in Commercial Kitchen

2012 ◽  
Vol 518-523 ◽  
pp. 4435-4438
Author(s):  
Da Hua Jiang ◽  
Zhi Hua Wang ◽  
Fa En Shi ◽  
Ru Shan Ren
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Maximum Value ◽  
Work Area ◽  
Indoor Contaminants ◽  
The Impact

It is of great importance to study the impact of the cooking generated contaminants on the indoor air quality in the kitchen since cooking is regarded as the main source of indoor contaminants. This study aims investigate and analysis the indoor air quality of kitchen with using CFD numerical analysis method via the velocity, temperature, humidity CO2 concentration .It is concluded that The temperature distribution are large difference in the kitchen and the maximum value is up to 324K on the work area which near the cooking ,and the CO2 concentration which is close to the stove is 1420ppm,1370ppm, 1470ppm respectively, and it is more than the acceptance criteria (CO2<1000ppm) 42%,37% and 47% respectively. It is serious impact on the staff's physical health.

scholarly journals Challenges for Indoor Air Quality Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Erem Admin ◽  
Violeta Kaunelienė
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Pollution Sources ◽  
Air Quality Management ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Developed Countries

We live indoors. In the developed countries, people spent80-90% of time in buildings. Therefore, among the environmentalfactors, indoor air quality (IAQ) is a significant,if not the most significant, factor affecting human health.Scientific evidence has indicated that indoor air can bemore seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even thelargest and most industrialized cities. Indoor air pollutioncauses long- and short-term health problems and, dependingon the severity, can even make staying indoorsvery uncomfortable. Management of IAQ is a complicatedtask due to complexity of pollution sources and alimited number of measures applicable such as reducingcontaminants at the source, improving ventilation, and,when relevant, purifying the indoor air

scholarly journals INDOOR AIR POLLUTION IN INDIA AND HEALTH HAZARDS

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (9SE) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Rekha Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Outdoor Air ◽  
Indoor Spaces

The ambient air quality in Indian cities has degraded to hazardous levels over the last two decades. People are exposed to extreme health risks due to increasing particulate matter, hazardous airborne agents in indoor spaces Outdoor air quality is affecting indoor air quality too.(1) Indoor air pollution is the degradation of indoor air quality by harmful chemicals and other materials; it can be up to 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution.  Over a million people in India die every year because of indoor air pollution, among highest in the world,(2). Indoor air pollution can be traced to prehistoric times when humans first moved to temperate climates and it became necessary to construct shelters and use fire inside them for cooking, warmth and light. (3) Approximately half the world’s population and up to 90% of rural households in developing countries still rely on unprocessed biomass fuels in the form of wood, dung and crop residues (4). Even today, about 43 percent of rural households and 31 percent of all Indian households use kerosene, for lighting purposes. Its impact on health and environment can be threatening.

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