Paper Conference

Proceedings of BSO Conference 2012: 1st Conference of IBPSA-England

     

Investigating the Effects of Resistance Pathways on Air Flow Through Naturally Ventilated Buildings

David Cunningham

Abstract: This research investigates the effect of partitioning in naturally ventilated spaces using salt bath modelling experiments. A scale model was adapted from a section of the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies (SSEES) building in University College London (UCL). Motivation for the project is the reduction of energy demand in buildings. Relying on mechanical ventilation over natural ventilation will increase carbon emissions due to the implied increase in energy demand. Natural ventilation systems in buildings need to have inherently low airflow resistances. Therefore resistance pathways can make natural ventilation more problematic as resistance pathways increase the airflow resistance. Experiments have shown that resistance pathways in naturally ventilated spaces can increase the depth of stratification layers by 20-30% in certain areas.
Pages: 132 - 140
Paper:
bso2012_2B3