Full Description

Proper positioning of small openings for air exchange between rooms plays an important role in both energy savings and comfort of ventilated and air-conditioned rooms in highly airtight houses. The position of the small openings should be optimized to meet the need for comfort and energy efficiency. The main objectives of this paper are to investigate the indoor thermal environment and to determine existing problems in energy efficiency and comfort. Utilizing a CFD simulation, the optimal position of small openings was determined to improve the energy efficiency and comfort. This should help building designers design more comfortable and energy efficient rooms.

Measurements were carried out in a well-insulated and airtight house in Japan. The distribution of velocity and temperature at the center plane of the living room, the surface temperature on the walls, and the temperature across five small openings were measured under the condition that the interior doors and exterior doors were closed.

The measured results agreed well with the results predicted by the CFD simulations. Using the CFD simulations, we searched for the optimal position of small ventilation openings.

Units: Dual

Citation: Symposium, ASHRAE Transactions, vol. 109, pt. 1