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Effects of Partition on Thermal Comfort, Indoor Air Quality, Energy

Consumption, and Perception in Air-Conditioned Buildings

Article  in  Journal of Solar Energy Engineering · July 2016

DOI: 10.1115/1.4034072

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Pradip Aryal
School of Manufacturing Systems and
Mechanical Engineering,
Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology,
Thammasat University,
P.O. Box 22, Thammasat Rangsit Post Office,
Pathum Thani 12121, Thailand
e-mail: prad.aryal@gmail.com
Thananchai
Leephakpreeda1
School of Manufacturing Systems and
Mechanical Engineering,
Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology,
Thammasat University,
P.O. Box 22, Thammasat Rangsit Post Office,
Pathum Thani 12121, Thailand
e-mail: thanan@siit.tu.ac.th
Effects of Partition on Thermal
Comfort, Indoor Air Quality,
Energy Consumption, and
Perception in Air-Conditioned
Buildings
This research is to assess effects of a partition on thermal comfort, indoor air quality
(IAQ), energy consumption, and perception in an air-conditioned space via computa-
tional fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. The variables of indoor air are numerically deter-
mined before/after installation/removal of a partition. Accordingly, predicted mean vote
(PMV) of thermal comfort, carbon dioxide concentration, rate of energy consumption in
making up air, and an overall perception index are proposed to quantify effects in a par-
titioned space. For a case study, a partition is used to tightly separate a study area from
a rest area in a library during peak time. The CFD analysis is performed so that the
mean differences between the measured and simulated variables at 14 locations are less
than 5%. After partitioning in the CFD analysis, it is found that the average PMV value
decreases to 1.4 in the rest area, and it remains at 0.7 in the study area where occu-
pants perceive a slightly cool sensation. In the study area, the carbon dioxide concentra-
tion increases to 450–500 ppm, while the rate of energy consumption increases by 8.3%.
From the overall perception index of 0.9, the occupants feel spacious in the partitioned
areas. Therefore, installing the partition is encouraged with the recommendation that
cooling supply can be reduced for energy savings. It is apparent that the proposed meth-
odology yields quantitative indicators for decision making of installation/removal of par-
titions. The interior investigation of partitions in buildings can be performed before
making real physical changes. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4034072]

Keywords: partition, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, energy consumption, perception,
CFD analysis

1 Introduction air-conditioned space is altered from an original pattern by parti-

tions [4]. It is expected that installation of partitions may deterio-
Nowadays, people spend more than 90% of their living time
rate, sustain, or improve either thermal comfort or IAQ [5].
within indoor air-conditioned environments [1]. Interior building
Furthermore, partitions totally change the sensory representation
design, based on engineering and architectural applications, is
of an air-conditioned space for occupants in a building. In other
needed since it can yield the highest visual and ambient enhance-
words, partitioning an air-conditioned space influences individual
ment of interior spaces in buildings. Such controlled environ-
perception of occupants toward the partitioned space. From Hall’s
ments, besides providing acceptable thermal comfort, and IAQ,
proxemics [6], sizes of spaces, available for each occupant, play
are to ensure proper arrangement of spacious rooms for various
an important role on occupants’ feeling of mobility. The more the
purposes. Particularly, a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning
space available, the better the perception [7]. Thus, it is of signifi-
(HVAC) system of buildings is implemented to provide a clean
cance to qualitatively study interacting effects of partitions in an
comfortable atmosphere for occupants while partitions are flexibly
air-conditioned space on thermal comfort, air quality, energy con-
utilized to divide the indoor air-conditioned space into multizones
sumption, and perception when partitions are installed in or
according to their desired functions. There are many reasons for
removed from an air-conditioned space. However, a real experi-
partition installation or removal, such as energy saving, flexibility
ment on installation/removal of a full-scale partition is not practi-
of space usage, and privacy ambience [2]. It is challenging for
cal for investigation. In this work, a CFD study is applied as a
design engineers and architects to quantitatively justify decision
technical tool for determination of indoor air conditions after
making in installation or removal because there are interacting
installation/removal of partitions. It can be performed before mak-
effects of partitions on thermal comfort, air quality, energy con-
ing real physical changes. Extensive CFD applications, in fields of
sumption, and perception. One of the most common practices,
airflow behavior, thermal comfort, and contaminant distribution
currently adopted in energy efficient buildings, is to reduce an air-
within air-conditioned spaces, have been carried out effectively
conditioned space by partitioning a larger space into smaller com-
[8–10]. Nevertheless, there has been no CFD-based interior build-
partments when various amounts of cooling in different times are
ing design of partitions, concerning about those effects, including
required [3]. In fact, distribution of air supply within an
perception, in the literature.

1
Corresponding author. 2 Experimental Setup of CFD Study
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of ASME for publication in the
JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING: INCLUDING WIND ENERGY AND BUILDING
ENERGY CONSERVATION. Manuscript received March 9, 2016; final manuscript
2.1 Description of CFD Model. In Fig. 1, a CFD model of
received June 19, 2016; published online July 25, 2016. Assoc. Editor: Jorge E. the library at the ground floor is constructed so as to investigate
Gonzalez. effects of a partition (dotted line) on thermal comfort, IAQ,

Journal of Solar Energy Engineering Copyright V

C 2016 by ASME OCTOBER 2016, Vol. 138 / 051005-1

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 Fig. 1 Three-dimensional model of library space

energy consumption, and perception of space. Installation of a occupants ( ). The air-conditioned library in CFD analysis is
partition is to be considered for a quiet study area on the west expected to be occupied by 23 students and two staff members
side, which is expected to be separated from an access area on the under daily maximum service, at around 2 p.m. From measure-
east side. There is a central rest area for online searches on data- ments, the make-up air flows into the room at temperature of
bases and newspaper reading. The layout indicates that the dimen- 17  C and relative humidity of 70%. The carbon dioxide concen-
sions of the library at Sirindhorn International Institute of tration at the mixing chamber between fresh air and return air is
Technology, Thammasat University are: length of 38 m, width of measured at 400 ppm. Twenty-nine supply diffusers are func-
27.3 m, and partially finished height of 3 m with dropped ceiling. tional. The air velocity at each supply diffuser is given in Table 2.
The walls are made of concrete and partially covered by glass For thermal boundary, the heat flux to the air-conditioned space
windows and entrance doors. The library is suitably cooled by an at a surface is defined as
air-conditioning system with 38 ceiling-type supply diffusers of
300  300 mm2. A constant air volume system is in use to regulate
q00 ¼ UT ðTamb  Tas Þ (1)
temperature of 7000-CFM supply air for the whole air-
conditioned space. A temperature sensor for control is located at
1.2 m above ground on the south wall in study area. The indoor air
is vented out via rectangular extract grilles of 2.5  0.4 m2 at the Table 1 Numerical values of parameters used in CFD study
ceiling plenum.
A CFD-based analysis before/after installation of the partition Parameters Numerical values
is applied by SolidWorks Flow SimulationTM [11]. The semi-
implicit method for pressure-linked equations algorithm is used to Tamb ( C) 35
numerically solve governing equations of mass balance, momen- ho (W/m2 K) 22.7
tum balance, and energy balance. In indoor air-conditioning, the hi (W/m2 K) 8.29
effect of incompressible turbulence is modeled with a well-known k of concrete wall (W/m K) 0.6
L of concrete wall (mm) 20
standard k  e model. The second-order upwind scheme is used to
k of glass wall/window/sliding entrance door (W/m K) 0.9
discretize terms of the governing equations. The grid distributions L of glass wall/window/sliding entrance door (mm) 3
in xyz Cartesian coordinates are defined for determining air tem- Heat source
perature, relative humidity, air velocity, and concentration of car- Humans (W per occupant) 130
bon dioxide. The numerical values of parameters are listed in Computers (W per computer) 45
Table 1. It is assumed that the indoor air within the library is Ceiling lights (W per light) 60
under thermally quasi-equilibrium conditions during operating Carbon dioxide generation rate of humans 0.018
time. The governing equations are numerically solved under (m3/hr per occupant)
steady-state conditions at the considered time where simulations Ic (Clo) 0.5
M (Met) 1.2
are carried out with two case studies: (a) before partitioning and
cpa (kJ/kg K) 1.006
(b) after partitioning. cv (kJ/kg K) 1.84
hv (kJ/kg) 2501
q (kg/m3) 1.2
2.2 Boundary Conditions. Figure 2 shows locations of sup-
ply diffusers (D), extract grilles (E), measurement points (•), and Note: Properties are defined at air temperature of 22  C.

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 Fig. 2 Locations of supply diffusers, extract grilles, measurement points, and occupants

Table 2 Air velocity at each supply diffuser

Diffuser D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 D13

Air velocity (m/s) 1.67 1.29 0.88 2.07 0.82 1.82 1.58 1.09 1.26 1.52 1.03 — 0.93
Diffuser D14 D15 D16 D17 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 D24 D25 D26
Air velocity (m/s) 1.60 1.29 1.38 1.47 1.96 1.65 — 1.46 1.56 1.57 1.69 — 0.60
Diffuser D27 D28 D29 D30 D31 D32 D33 D34 D35 D36 D37 D38
Air velocity (m/s) 1.38 1.94 — — 1.63 2.01 2.08 1.94 — — —

with 3 Decision-Making Factors on Partitioning Within

1 1 L 1
¼ þ þ (2)
UT ho k hi
It should be noted that well-insulated walls adjacent to small
air-conditioned rooms, ceilings, and ground are considered adia-
batic surfaces. Air in contact with walls has zero velocity. Other
properties and electric appliances are listed in Table 1.
For validation of CFD results, 14 measurement points, as
shown in Fig. 2, are selected for data of air velocity, air tempera-
ture, relative humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration. Air ve-
locity and air temperature are measured by Testo425 thermal
anemometer in a range of 0–20 m/s and accuracy of 60.03 m/s, as
well as a range of 20 to 70  C and accuracy of 60.5  C, respec-
tively. A Testo610 with a range of 0–100% and accuracy of
62.5% is used to measure relative humidity. A Telaire7001 is
used for measurement of carbon dioxide concentration, which has
a range of 0–10,000 ppm and accuracy of 650 ppm. The measure-
ment devices are mounted at a height of 1.1 m above ground level,
which is the same height of the CFD study.
Buildings
Partitioning within a building is an act of dividing indoor space
into multiple functional rooms. Each room might be scheduled
with various occupation times. Partitions are mainly used to man-
age desired size of air-conditioned spaces according to function
demands while energy consumption is to be minimized. However,
there are physiological and psychological effects on occupants’
behaviors and feelings. Those factors, such as thermal comfort, air
quality, and perception, are to be taken into account when installa-
tion and/or removal of partitions are considered.
3.1 Thermal Comfort. Thermal comfort of occupants within
partitioned rooms of buildings is important for HVAC system
design since it directly influences productivity and health [12,13].
It is surprising that effects of partitioning on thermal comfort are
usually disregarded when installation and/or removal of partitions
are considered. In this study, thermal comfort is to be justified
quantitatively as a decision-making factor in installation and/or
removal of partitions within an air-conditioned space of buildings.
Fanger [14] first proposed the PMV model. The PMV model is

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 one of the most widely used thermal comfort models from ANSI/
ASHRAE Standard 55 [15]. The PMV model is applied with prin-
ciples of the heat balance between the body and thermal environ-
ment at steady-state conditions to evaluate the mean thermal
sensation vote on a standard scale for a large group of people. The
PMV model accounts for combined thermal effects of four envi-
ronmental variables, indoor air temperature, relative humidity, air
velocity, and mean radiant temperature, and two individual varia-
bles, metabolic rate of human activity and clothing insulation, as
given in the following equation:
PMV ¼ f ðTa ; RH; v; Tr ; M; Icl Þ (3)
The PMV model yields values of thermal sensation of occu-
pants on a seven-point scale ranging from 3 to þ3, which are
from cold to hot. A value of 0 means thermal neutrality. The ac-
ceptable range for thermal comfort for indoor air-conditioned
space is from 0.5 to þ0.5. Statistically, the number of occu-
pants, who are dissatisfied, remains below 10% of occupants in a
large group sharing common climatic conditions.
In practice, the individual variables such as the human activities
of the occupants and the clothing insulation are usually defined
from the purpose of usages within the air-conditioned spaces. On
the other hand, the environment variables such as air temperature,
relative humidity, mean radiant temperature, and air velocity are
numerically determined based on thermal boundary conditions
around the air-conditioned spaces and heating/cooling sources. In
this study, CFD software is applied to numerically solve air veloc-
ity, air temperature, mean radiant temperature, and relative hu-
midity of air within the air-conditioned spaces as discussed in
Sec. 2 before/after installation/removal of partitions. The distribu-
tion of PMV values can be obtained by using Eq. (3) when those
individual variables and environmental variables are known. The
numerical solutions of the PMV can be used to investigate the
sensational conditions of the occupants within an air-conditioned
space. For better thermal comfort situations, overall areas, which
have PMV values between 0.5 and 0.5, increase after the parti-
tions are installed or removed.
3.2 IAQ. IAQ is technically referred as the quality of air
within the air-conditioned spaces of buildings. It can be deterio-
rated from carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, formalde-
hyde, odors, and moisture, including microbial contaminants and
particulates. More contaminants induce significantly adverse
effects on health and comfort of occupants. It is a priority to con-
serve adequate IAQ within an air-conditioned space of a building
when installation and/or removal of partitions are considered.
Typically, the concentration of carbon dioxide is elevated due to
the main exhaust from occupants. Actually, it is widely used as an
indicator of IAQ in delivering recommended minimum quantities
of outdoor air to the air-conditioned spaces of buildings. There-
fore, the concentration of carbon dioxide is investigated for
Fig. 3 Making up indoor air of HVAC system
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changes of IAQ after installation and/or removal of partitions.
Like environmental variables, the distribution of carbon dioxide
concentration within an air-conditioned space is determined from
the CFD analysis. For a typical HVAC system, a filtered ventila-
tion unit brings in fresh air from outdoors in order to dilute the
return air [16]. A portion of fresh air is to be circulated, to main-
tain initial comfort and reduce energy costs associated with cool-
ing/heating outdoor air, after partitioning. In some situations,
partitions of conditioned spaces may restrain many occupants in a
small area with great risk of a high concentration of carbon diox-
ide. It is reported that the concentration of carbon dioxide may
exceed the threshold limit in air-conditioned rooms of school
buildings [17,18]. Hence, the adjustment of indoor air distribution
due to partitioning is of great importance to IAQ. The ASHRAE
Standard 62-1999 [19] recommends the highest acceptable con-
centration of 1000 ppm, or the difference in indoor/outdoor con-
centration of the carbon dioxide should not exceed 700 ppm [20].
3.3 Energy Consumption. The amount of energy consump-
tion associated with HVAC systems of buildings has risen remark-
ably over the years, and this trend still continues. On a daily basis,
most people live inside buildings and their performance, produc-
tivity, and health are significantly affected from the indoor
air-conditioned environment [21]. Occupants are likely to com-
promise their personal thermal comfort with energy savings in
practice [13]. Several recommendations are adopted to simultane-
ously achieve thermal comfort and energy savings. Installation of
various partitions is gaining popularity to reduce large cooling/
heating spaces within office buildings while rooms in residential
buildings are often partitioned in order to separate living room,
kitchen, and bedroom. Partitioning facilitates diverse functional
conditions of the air-conditioned spaces in time. However, there is
no solid evidence whether installation/removal of a partition usu-
ally enhances energy savings. For this work, the energy for mak-
ing up satisfactory indoor air can be determined from the cooling/
heating load of an HVAC system within a building [14,15]. In
Fig. 3, the cooling/heating load is assessed from the changes in
enthalpy of supply air and exhaust air of the air-conditioned
space.
The rate of energy consumption can be expressed as
X
L_ ¼ qV_ e ðcpa Te þ xe ðcv Te þ hv ÞÞ
X
 qV_ s ðcpa Ts þ xs ðcv Ts þ hv ÞÞ (4)
According to the above equation, the variables of HVAC sys-
tems, such as the temperature, volumetric flow rate, and humidity
ratio of the supply air, are adjusted to maintain satisfactory ther-
mal comfort and IAQ with efficient energy usage. However, in-
stallation/removal of partitions within an air-conditioned space
can alter those optimal conditions due to a new indoor air distribu-
tion, which can be investigated for assessment with CFD analysis.
Transactions of the ASME

Fig. 4 Hall’s personal space
Accordingly, the rate of energy consumption can be determined
by Eq. (4) with accessible variables from CFD analysis without
any support of other building simulation tools.
3.4 Perception of Space. The indoor environment within ef-
ficient buildings should provide acceptable thermal comfort and
IAQ, and also ensure proper spaciousness for occupants. Actually,
spaciousness indicates the degree of personal comfort, based on
available area of indoor workspace for occupants. The dimension
of space is considered an important factor for indoor workspace
satisfaction [22]. In Ref. [23], the study of human behavior reports
that larger rooms are perceived more positively than smaller
rooms. In general, this perception of space is a process through
which humans become aware of their relative position and the
objects around them that are important for movement and orienta-
tion in the environment [24]. Indoor space is characterized by var-
ious items surrounding occupants such as doors, walls, hallways,
furniture, and people, including partitions that enable and con-
strain movement. Therefore, partitions are to be placed or
removed in such a way that maximizes an occupant’s mobility to
achieve overall comfort and efficiency.
The perception of space affected by partitioning in this work is
an individual feeling of discomfort when an occupant’s circle of
social space is perceived to have been invaded, as shown in
Fig. 4.
According to Hall’s theory in Ref. [6], each person subcon-
sciously creates an imaginary reaction bubble for interpersonal
communication in space. The regions inside the imaginary bubble
are categorized into four spaces. Intimate space is the space up to
Fig. 5 Perception index at various locations of partition: (a) Ip 5 1, (b) 0<Ip <1, and (c) Ip 5 0
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45 cm from the person, reserved for loved ones. Personal space is
the space at a distance between 45 cm and 1.2 m reserved for fam-
ily members and close friends. Social space is the space reserved
for colleagues, classmates, strangers, newly formed groups, and
new acquaintances for everyday interactions. The social space is
1.2–3.6 m from the center of individuals. The outer space at a dis-
tance greater than 3.6 m is public space. This concept is effective
for interactions with others in everyday life and for space organi-
zation in houses and buildings [25].
Building engineers should be aware of how partitions influence
individual perception of space when the social space is limited by
partitions. The proposed methodology is developed to quantify an
individual’s feeling of spaciousness in an indoor space of build-
ings. The most comfort from spaciousness is assumed when each
occupant has available space, which is equal to the area of social
space described in Hall’s theory. People feel comfortable in con-
ducting routine social interactions with acquaintances as well as
strangers. The invasion of an occupant’s social space due to parti-
tions causes a decrease of spaciousness. The perception of space
is indicated, ranging from 0 to 1. A value of 0 is considered the
worst perception of partitions whereas a value of 1 is the best
comfort for doing social activities. For a given air-conditioned
space, the overall perception index, associated with the number of
occupants, is determined as
!
Xm Xn
Aj;i
j¼1 i¼1
IP ¼ 1  ! (5)
X
m X
n
A^j;i
j¼1 i¼1
With the above equation, Fig. 5 shows the overall perception
index of a single occupant due to installation of a partition at vari-
ous distances from the center. In Fig. 5(a), the partition is located
at a distance greater than 3.6 m where the corresponding percep-
tion index is 1. The partition has no effect on the social space of
an individual. Figure 5(b) illustrates a part of social space being
invaded by a partition, which is installed at a distance less than
3.6 m from the center. The perception index has values between 0
and 1. With a perception index of 0, a partition coincides with the
center of an individual, invading the entire half of the circle of
social space, as shown in Fig. 5(c).
Figure 6 shows the plots of the perception index against the dis-
tance of a partition from an occupant’s center. The corresponding
perceived feeling can be defined for perception of space as nar-
row, ample, and spacious. For example, the perception of
“narrow” is that a partition invades not only the social space but
also the personal space, where the occupant’s mobility is severely
affected by a partition.
4 Results and Discussion
4.1 Validation of CFD Analysis. As discussed in Sec. 2, the
governing equations with specific boundary conditions are
OCTOBER 2016, Vol. 138 / 051005-5
 Fig. 6 Perception index against distance of partition
numerically solved to determine variables of indoor air before
installation of the partition. Grid distributions, with 1.5  106
grids of xyz Cartesian coordinates, are determined for air tempera-
ture, relative humidity, air velocity, and concentration of carbon
dioxide. Actually, several simulations are performed on succes-
sively finer grids as shown in Table 3 so that the percentages of
differences between the measured values and the simulated values
approach zero.
With confidence in the analysis, the simulated results agree
with the measurement data at 14 locations within the library, as
shown in Fig. 2. Figure 7 presents the comparisons of numerical
results of air temperature, relative humidity, air velocity, and car-
bon dioxide concentration from the CFD analysis with the mea-
surement data. It is found that there is a very good agreement
among those results. All corresponding differences are acceptably
small or less than 5%. However, some simulated results are
noticeably different from measurements at the locations around
the entrance (far from the partition). Carbon dioxide concentra-
tions match measurements at all points except for points 13 and
14. In observation, those variances are because points 13 and 14
are close to a sliding entrance door where the outdoor air, at lower
carbon dioxide concentration and higher temperature, is capable
of flowing in, from time to time, through the sliding door. Accord-
ingly, it can be noticed that the values of air temperature from
measurements are slightly higher while the values of relative
humidity are somewhat lower than simulated results in this area.
In fact, infiltration/exfiltration through the sliding entrance door
takes place along with student movements. The sliding door is
considered to be closed in the CFD simulation. The mathematical
models are applied for establishing variables of indoor air after in-
stallation of the partition for impact assessments.
4.2 Impact Assessment on Thermal Comfort. With the
CFD analysis and the PMV model in Eq. (3), the PMV distribu-
tion is determined according to the conditions of the library
before/after installation of the partition. The PMV contours are
presented at a horizontal plane of 1.1 m above ground level. This
height is set at breathing level of an occupied zone in sitting posi-
tion of occupants. Figure 8(a) shows the PMV distribution
Table 3 CFD performances in different grid sizes
Mean differences between simulation and
measurement (%)
Grid sizes Relative Carbon dioxide
(numbers) Temperature humidity Velocity concentration
0.5  106 5.94 12.56 19.26 13.45
1.0  106 5.32 10.59 13.43 9.68
1.2  106 3.57 7.88 8.34 4.65
1.5  106 3.23 3.83 2.18 1.86
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contours in the case without a partition. It is observed that there is
a slightly cool sensation with an average PMV value of 0.7 in
the study area on the west side. The region around the entrance
and reception on the east side has a slightly cool sensation with
PMV values ranging from 0.9 to 0.7. However, the rest area in
the central region has a nearly cool thermal sensation with PMV
values ranging from 1.5 to 1.0. The differences of perceived
sensation among those areas are due to the presence of heat loads
from occupants in the study area. Conversely, the rest area of the
library has relatively fewer occupants. Additionally, the heat flux
from the outdoor environment comes through windows on the
west side, whereas the glass walls on the east side are interior. It
can be noticed that the occupants near windows in the study area
feel comfortable with a PMV value around 0.6. The occupants,
sitting in other areas, are likely to feel slightly cool. After instal-
ling a partition, Fig. 8(b) illustrates the decreases of perceived
sensation in most areas of the library. Although the average PMV
value in the study area remains around 0.7, the average PMV
value in the rest area decreases to 1.4. In fact, it is still perceived
as slightly cool. Furthermore, the areas around occupied seats
near windows have PMV values less than 0.6. This scale indi-
cates that occupants feel likely less comfortable after installation
of the partition. It can be observed that the PMV values of the en-
trance area and the reception area change to 1.2. This result is
because the conditioned spaces of the library are tightly enveloped
with the partition from the entrance. Also, supply air diffusers
within the areas are capable of overcoming the same thermal loads
from windows, entrance, and occupants.
4.3 Impact Assessment on IAQ. The carbon dioxide concen-
tration distribution from the CFD analysis at the breathing level is
reported in Fig. 9. There are 20 students sitting in the study area,
who are generating carbon dioxide. There are three students in the
rest area and two librarians in the reception area. Figure 9(a)
shows the carbon dioxide concentration distribution within the
library before installation of the partition. It is observed that the
carbon dioxide concentration has a range of 425–475 ppm in the
study area while it ranges from 400 ppm to 450 ppm in the rest
area. This is due to many occupants in the study area and few
occupants in the rest area. Additionally, there is diffusion of car-
bon dioxide from the indoor environment through the entrance.
After installation of the partition, areas with high carbon dioxide
concentration of 450–500 ppm are found in the study area as
shown in Fig. 9(b). The carbon dioxide concentration in the rest
area decreases to 400–425 ppm while it decreases extensively in
the areas near the entrance. It can be explained that only 17 diffus-
ers out of 29 diffusers supply fresh air to dilute the carbon dioxide
in the study area. Before installing the partition, the carbon diox-
ide in the study area is capable of diffusing to the rest area while
29 diffusers supply fresh air to the whole area. However, the simu-
lated values of carbon dioxide concentration within the library
remain below the recommended level of 800–1000 ppm according
Transactions of the ASME
 Fig. 7 Comparisons of simulated results with measurement data: (a) air temperature, (b) rela-
tive humidity, (c) air velocity, and (d) carbon dioxide concentration

to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004 [20]. Therefore, occupants
are likely to find a comfortable environment regarding IAQ after
installation of the partition.
4.4 Impact Assessment on Energy Consumption. In the
CFD analysis, the variables of indoor air at the extract grilles are
numerically determined according to the boundary conditions, as
defined in Sec. 2. Table 4 lists the simulated results of indoor air
variables at each extract grille. After installation of the partition,
20 students in the study area are separated from three students in
the rest area and two librarians in the reception area. Thermal
loads from occupants in the study area are fourfold higher than in
the remaining areas while the number of diffusers in the study
area is nearly equal to those in the rest area. The temperatures of
return air at extract grilles E2 and E3 in the study area are higher,
whereas the temperatures of return air at extract grilles E1 and E4
in the rest area are lower after the partition is installed. As the
temperature decreases, the relative humidity of air in Table 5
increases and vice versa. The absolute humidity in the library is
not affected by moisture from occupants. Air velocity at the
extract grilles is uniformly distributed for both cases. Equation (4)
is applied to determine the rate of energy consumption for the air-
conditioned space. Table 5 yields the rate of energy consumption
for before/after installation of the partition. It is found that the rate
of energy consumption increases by 8.3% after installation.
4.5 Impact Assessment on Perception of Space. Figure 10
shows the circles of social space and the areas invaded by the par-
tition after installation of the partition. The centers of those circles
are subjectively positioned at the center of each table in the study
area, rest area, and reception area since occupants work at those
locations most of the time. Without the partition in Fig. 10(a),
occupant movements are not constrained by the partition to circles
of social space. The occupants can freely move in their

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 Fig. 8 Comparison of PMV distribution: (a) without partition and (b) with partition

workspaces of the library. In this situation, occupants perceive
the indoor space to be spacious. Correspondingly, the overall
perception index of 1 is determined by Eq. (5). However, after
installation of the partition, some parts of the circles of social
space in the study area and in the rest area are invaded by the
partition. This means that the shaded region in Fig. 10(b) is the
area of the social space that is no longer available to the corre-
sponding occupants. The mobility of the occupants near the par-
tition in the study area and in the rest area is limited in particular
directions. From Eq. (5), the overall perception index of 0.9 is
numerically determined. This is 10% off the original unity of the
overall perception index. This result can be interpreted that the
occupants feel spacious in the library space after installation of
the partition.
4.6 Recommendations. According to impact assessments in
Secs. 4.2–4.5, installation of the partition is encouraged, with
adjusting air-conditioned conditions and interior arrangement.
 In thermal comfort, the occupants are likely to feel cool in
several locations, after installation of the partition. For
energy savings, a slight rise in supply air temperature is rec-
ommended, until the distributed PMV values are 0.5 to 0.
 Reducing volumetric flow rate of supply air is suggested to
lower the rate of energy consumption. For example, a few
operational supply diffusers in vacant areas should be closed.
However, this adjustment may diminish thermal comfort
from the reduced air movement and deteriorate IAQ from the
reduced fresh air.

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 Fig. 9 Comparison of carbon dioxide distribution: (a) without partition and (b) with partition

Table 4 Air variables at the extract grilles

Before installation of partition After installation of partition

Extract grilles E1 E2 E3 E4 E1 E2 E3 E4

Temperature ( C) 20.67 21.33 21.11 20.10 20.34 21.81 21.79 19.80

RH (%) 57.30 54.63 55.07 59.59 60.61 53.57 53.49 61.17
Velocity (m/s) 1.03 1.04 1.04 1.03 0.94 1.14 1.13 0.93
Humidity ratio (kg/kg) 0.00869 0.00863 0.00858 0.00872 0.00901 0.00871 0.00869 0.00879

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 Table 5 Rate of energy consumption for make-up air
Cases Rate of energy consumption (kW)
Before installation of partition 33.83
After installation of partition 36.65
Fig. 10 Comparison of perception: (a) without partition and (b)
with partition
 The partition affects a slight increase of carbon dioxide con-
centration within allowable range. Therefore, the IAQ should
not be a critical concern for installation of the partition.
 The overall perception index in the partitioned areas reduces
slightly. The students still feel spacious. However, study tables
may be moved away from the partition for improvement.
5 Conclusion
In this work, a partition is used to separate a study area from a
rest area in an air-conditioned library. The variables of indoor air
are determined by the CFD analysis before/after installation. The
boundary conditions are specified under a service situation during
peak time. A field measurement is implemented for validating
simulated results, with measured results at 14 locations within the
library. From the results of the CFD analysis before installation,
all the differences between the simulated results and the measured
results are less than 5%. After installing the partition in the CFD
analysis, the average PMV value in the study area is 0.7, and
the average value in the rest area is 1.4 where the occupants
feel slightly cool. High concentrations of carbon dioxide
(450–500 ppm) are found in the study area. However, they remain
below the allowable limit of 800–1000 ppm. The rate of energy
consumption increases by 8.3%. Those results are because the
study area is tightly enveloped with the partition from the entrance
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while a number of occupants in the study area are fourfold higher
than the remaining areas. The overall perception index is 0.9,
where the occupants feel spacious. According to the impact
assessments, installation of the partition can proceed with the rec-
ommendation that cooling supply can be reduced for energy
savings.
In summary, variables of indoor air are numerically determined
before and after installation/removal of a partition via CFD analy-
sis. The PMV is applied as an indicator of thermal comfort. The
carbon dioxide concentration is assessed for IAQ. The rate of
energy consumption is evaluated in making up air. The overall
perception index based on Hall’s theory is used for occupants’
feeling of space. The proposed methodology yields quantitative
indicators for recommendation and decision making in installation
or removal of partitions where the interior design of partitions can
be performed before making real physical changes.
Nomenclature
Aj;i ¼ area of social space of occupant j invaded by partition i
A^j;i ¼ maximum area of social space of occupant j invaded by
partition i at center
cpa ¼ specific heat of air
cv ¼ specific heat of water vapor
hi ¼ radiative heat transfer coefficient of exterior surface and
interior surface of wall/window
ho ¼ convective heat transfer coefficient of exterior surface and
interior surface of wall/window
hv ¼ latent heat of evaporation
Icl ¼ clothing insulation
IP ¼ perception index
k ¼ thermal conductivity of wall/window/door
L ¼ thickness of wall/window/door
L_ ¼ rate of energy consumption
m ¼ number of partitions
M ¼ metabolic rate of human activity
n ¼ number of considered occupants
q00 ¼ heat flux to air-conditioned space at surface
RH ¼ relative humidity
Ta ¼ indoor air temperature
Tamb ¼ ambient temperature
Tas ¼ indoor air temperature at surface
Te ¼ air temperatures at each exhaust outlet
Ts ¼ air temperatures at each supply inlet
Tr ¼ mean radiant temperature
UT ¼ overall heat transfer coefficient of the wall/window/door
v ¼ air velocity
V_ e ¼ volumetric flow rates at each exhaust outlet
V_ s ¼ volumetric flow rates at each supply inlet
xe ¼ absolute humidity ratios at each exhaust outlet
xs ¼ absolute humidity ratios at each supply inlet
q ¼ density of air
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