Enhancing Indoor Air Quality and Regulatory Compliance: An In-Depth Comparative Study on Ventilation Strategies and Their Impact on SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Risk
Atefeh Abbaspour,
Ali Bahadori-Jahromi,
Alan Janbey
et al.
Abstract:Enclosed-space ventilation plays a pivotal role in enhancing indoor air quality (IAQ). Various regulations and guidelines determine minimum fresh air requirements, varying by the application, country, etc. The present study employs real-time indoor CO2 measurements to calculate the actual air change rate (ACH) and models the building’s compliance with Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) guidelines to assess its impact on IAQ. The contaminant considered is the SARS-CoV-2 virus with mult… Show more
“…For example, ensuring IAQ in heritage buildings cannot be achieved by ordinary technical methods and requires a multidisciplinary approach [ 11 ]. The work of [ 12 ] demonstrates that the usual ventilation policies can fail to ensure a healthy environment in crowded spaces, such as classrooms and teaching laboratories. The differences in the IAQ assessment also affect how the various ventilation standards are effectively implemented [ 13 , 14 ].…”
This paper presents an indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring system designed for a better end-user experience. The monitoring system consists of elements, from the monitoring sensor to the monitoring interface, designed and implemented by the research team, especially for the proposed monitoring system. The monitoring solution is intended for users who live in houses without automatic ventilation systems. The air quality sensor is designed at a minimum cost and complexity to allow multi-zone implementation without significant effort. The user interface uses a spatial graphic representation that facilitates understanding areas with different air quality levels. Presentation of the outdoor air quality level supports the user’s decision to ventilate a space. An innovative element of the proposed monitoring interface is the real-time forecast of air quality evolution in each monitored space. The paper describes the implementation of an original monitoring solution (monitoring device, Edge/Cloud management system, innovative user monitoring interface) and presents the results of testing this system in a relevant environment. The research conclusions show the proposed solution’s benefits in improving the end-user experience, justified both by the technical results obtained and by the opinion of the users who tested the monitoring system.
“…For example, ensuring IAQ in heritage buildings cannot be achieved by ordinary technical methods and requires a multidisciplinary approach [ 11 ]. The work of [ 12 ] demonstrates that the usual ventilation policies can fail to ensure a healthy environment in crowded spaces, such as classrooms and teaching laboratories. The differences in the IAQ assessment also affect how the various ventilation standards are effectively implemented [ 13 , 14 ].…”
This paper presents an indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring system designed for a better end-user experience. The monitoring system consists of elements, from the monitoring sensor to the monitoring interface, designed and implemented by the research team, especially for the proposed monitoring system. The monitoring solution is intended for users who live in houses without automatic ventilation systems. The air quality sensor is designed at a minimum cost and complexity to allow multi-zone implementation without significant effort. The user interface uses a spatial graphic representation that facilitates understanding areas with different air quality levels. Presentation of the outdoor air quality level supports the user’s decision to ventilate a space. An innovative element of the proposed monitoring interface is the real-time forecast of air quality evolution in each monitored space. The paper describes the implementation of an original monitoring solution (monitoring device, Edge/Cloud management system, innovative user monitoring interface) and presents the results of testing this system in a relevant environment. The research conclusions show the proposed solution’s benefits in improving the end-user experience, justified both by the technical results obtained and by the opinion of the users who tested the monitoring system.
In indoor spaces without mechanical ventilation systems, a common approach involves using a ceiling-mounted 4-way fan coil unit (4WFCU) to regulate indoor temperature and placing floor-level air purifiers (APs) to remove indoor pollutants. This study introduces a differentiated displacement ventilation system (DVS) that connects multiple APs to the 4WFCU using ductwork. The age of air was compared between the case where the newly designed DVS was implemented and the reference case where 4WFCU and APs operated independently. When there were no obstacles in the office central area, the reference system exhibited a lower age of air. Conversely, when obstacles such as desks and partitions were present in the central area, the proposed DVS was found to improve indoor air quality. The DVS resulted in minimal interference among pathlines of the air discharged from multiple floor-level APs and their efficient suction through the ceiling-mounted 4WFCU and diffusers, significantly reducing stagnant air zones, while pathlines of the air discharged from the 4WFCU and APs interfered significantly when they operated independently, leading to larger stagnant areas in the air distribution. Therefore, modifying office spaces with ceiling-mounted 4WFCUs using the proposed DVS is anticipated to substantially enhance indoor air quality through a straightforward installation process.
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