VENTILATION

AIR FLOW
WIND EFFECT
NATURAL VENTILATION
venturi tube
Bernoulli effect
Stack effect
Roof Vents
MECHANICAL VENTILATION

AIR FLOW
To design successfully for ventilation in the summer or for wind protection

in the winter, the following principles of air flow should be understood

Air flows either because of natural convection

currents, caused by differences in temperature,

or because of differences in pressure.

Types of Air Flow Laminar, Separated, Turbulent and eddy currents

Air flow changes from laminar to turbulent when it encounters sharp

obstructions such as buildings

Eddy currents are circular air flows induced by laminar air flows

Inertia Since air has some mass moving air tends to go in straight line.
When forced to change direction, air streams will follow curves but never
right angles

Conservation of Air Since air is neither created nor destroyed at the

building site, the air approaching a building

 When

1.
2.

3.

air flow is due to wind, air

enters through openings in the
windward walls, and leaves
through openings in the leeward
walls
Wind pressures are generally
high/positive on the windward
side of a building and
low/negative on the leeward
side.
The occurrence and change of
wind pressures on building
surfaces depend on:
wind speed and wind direction
relative to the building;
the location and surrounding
environment of the building;
and
shape of the building.

Wind effect

Positive pressure is created on the

building sides that face the wind
(windward sides) whereas suction
regions are formed on the opposite
sides (leeward sides) and on the side
walls.

This results in negative pressure

inside the building, which is
sufficient to introduce large flows
through the building openings.

In a general case, n airflow of air is

induced on the windward side and an
outflow on the leeward side. Airflow
through an external opening is
mainly attributed to a wind induced
pressure difference across it.

Wind induced
pressure differences

High and low pressure area As air

hits the windward side of a building
it compresses and creates positive
pressure (+).
Air sucked away from the leeward
side at the same time is negative
pressure (-).
Air deflected around the sides will
also create negative pressure.
Pressure not uniformly
distributed
The type of pressure created over the
roof depends on the slope of the roof.
These pressure areas around the
building determine how air flows
through the building.

An increase in the velocity of a fluid decreases

its static pressure. Because of this phenomenon,
there is negative pressure at the construction of a
venturi tube.
A gabled roof is like half a venturi tube. Air will
be sucked out of any opening near the ridge.
The effect can be made even stronger by
designing the roof to be like a full venturi tube.
The velocity of air increases rapidly with height
above ground.
The pressure at the ridge of a roof will be lower
than that of windows at ground level.
Consequently even without the help of the
geometry of a venturi tube, the Bernoulli effect
will exhaust air through roof openings.

BERNOULLI
EFFECT

STACK EFFECT

The stack effect can exhaust air from a building by the

action of natural convection.
The stack effect will exhaust air only if the indoor
temperature difference between two vertical openings is
greater than the outdoor-temperature difference between the
same two opening.
To maximize the weak effect, then openings should be as
large as far apart vertically as possible.
The air should be able to flow freely from the lower to the
higher opening.
The shape of the roof and the increased wind velocity
at the roof can all combine to ventilate a building
naturally.
Roof monitors and ventilators high on the roof are
especially helpful because of stratification, the hot test
indoor air is exhausted first.
SOLAR CHIMNEY
Stack effect is a function of temperature differences
heating the indoor air increases the air flow.
The solar chimney heats the air after it leaves the
buildings
The stack effect is increased but without additional
heating of the building.

The stack effect causes the lower part of a

building with an atrium to have a negative
pressure and the upper part to have a positive
pressure.
In between will be the neutral axis.
Hot air from the lower stories enters the upper
floors.
To avoid this problem, the neutral axis must be
raised above the top floor.
ADVANTAGE
The stack effect over the Bernoulli effect is that
it does not depend on wind.
DISADVANTAGE
It is a very weak force and cannot move air
quickly.

Roof Vents

MECHANICAL
VENTILATION

Air-conditioning for
small buildings
Air-conditioning for large
buildings
Air filtration and odour
removal

Air conditioning for LARGE BUILDINGS

Choice

of system will depend on the building

purpose and degree of occupancy

There

are three categories :

> All Air Systems
> All Water Systems
> Combination Air Water Systems

All Air Systems

Air

is blown across the cold evaporator coil and then

delivered by the ducts to the rooms that require cooling.
Air systems can effectively ventilate , filter and
dehumidify the air.
The main dis advantages lies in the bulky ductwork that is
required.

All Water systems

The

water is chilled by the evaporator coil and then delivered

to fan coil units in each space.
Although piping in the building takes up very little space ,
the fan coil units in each room do require some space.
Ventilation , dehumidification and filtering of air are
possible but not as effective as with an air system.

COMBINED SYSTEM
In

smaller buildings , the heat given off by a

refrigeration machine / mechanical room is usually
dumped into the atmosphere by blowing outdoor air
over the condenser coil.
To make this heat transfer more efficient , water can
be sprayed over the condenser coil.
Medium sized buildings often use a specialized piece
of equipment called an evaporative condenser to dump
heat into the atmosphere by evaporating water.

cooling tower also dumps

heat into the atmosphere by
evaporating water.
This cooling tower is
pumped to the refrigeration
machine / mechanical
rooms.
Most cooling towers are
placed on roofs.