PRGR-633

Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Week (03)

Knowledge Check (02)

Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality and HVAC Systems
(Performance and Efficiency)

August 10th, 2020

Question-01:
List the environmental parameters that affect human thermal comfort.

“Thermal Comfort is the condition of mind in which satisfaction is expressed with the
thermal environment” (ASHRAE 2004)
The factors affecting thermal comfort are both Environmental and Personal.
The Environmental factors are listed as follows:

o Air temperature

This is the temperature of the air surrounding the

body. It is usually in degrees Celsius (°C).
o Radiant temperature

This is the weighted average of all temperatures

from surfaces surrounding an occupant. Example:
The Sun, fire, electric fires, ovens, cookers, dryers,
hot surfaces & machinery, etc.
o Air velocity

This describes the speed of air moving across the occupant and may help cool them if the air
is cooler than the environment. Air velocity is an important factor in thermal comfort.
o Humidity

If water is heated and it evaporates to the surrounding environment, the resulting amount
of water in the air will provide humidity. High humidity environments have a lot of vapour in
the air, which prevents evaporation of sweat from the skin.
Personal Factors affecting human thermal comfort are: Clothing Insulation, Metabolic Heat.

Question-02:
Find the ventilation rate required for an enclosure to achieve a desired PD of 85% if the
pollution intensity of the supply air, Co, is 0.2 decipol, and the concentration of pollution
generated internally and from the ventilation plant, G, is 20 olf.

Equation for the Ventilation Rate of an Enclosure (from the Lecture):

V̇ =10 G/(C i−C o )
Ci =112/(5.98−ln( PD))4

Ci =112/(5.98−ln(85))4 = 20.05 decipol (Equations calculated using Excel)

V̇ =10 x20/(19.91i −0. 2 o ) = 10.075 liter/second
Question-03:
Calculate the convection flow rate, qv, at a height z (floor) = 1.5 m above the floor in the
plume above a hot cylinder with a diameter of D = 0.5 m and a height of H = 0.8 m. The
convective heat flux is Φ = 3.5 kW.

Equation for the Flow Rate of a Plume rising from a Heat Source (from the Lecture):

P or Φ: convective heat output from source (w) (P here is 3.5 kw = 3500 w)

y: distance above heat source (m) (Distance here is 1.5m - 0.8m=0.7m)
d: diameter heat source (m)

When applying the above equation:

Qv= (0.0061*(3500)^0.33)*((0.5+0.7))^1.67 (Equations calculated using Excel)
Qv = 0.12221 m³s¯¹

Question-04:
The cylinder from previous question is placed inside a room with a vertical temperature
gradient of 2 °C/m. It is assumed that there are other heat sources in the room.
Investigate how this temperature stratification influences the volume flow in the plume
above the cylinder, and at what height the plume stops.

Found online:
“Industrial Ventilation
Design Guidebook”
By: Howard D. Goodfellow

When applying the above equation:

Z max = ((0.98*3500)^0.25)*((2)^-0.375) (Equations calculated using Excel)
Z max = 5.901158528 m (this is the Maximum Plume Rise.)
Plumes are influenced by temperature stratification; the driving force of the Plume is the
temperature difference between the Plume and the surroundings.
Therefore, the plume will rise to a maximum height of 5.9m.
-Thank You -