21MEO110T -

ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE

BUILDINGS

Unit – III Heat Control and Ventilation

Dr. P. GANESHKUMAR

Department of Mechanical Engineering

SRMIST, Kattankulathur - 603203

 Air Currents Around the Building

Environmental
Moderator
1. heat flow
2. air flow
3. Movement of
water as vapour and as
liquid
4. solar and other
radiation

Windward and Leeward Effects: When wind encounters a building, it creates high-pressure zones on the windward side and
low-pressure zones on the leeward side. This pressure difference drives air circulation around and through the building.
Design parameters influencing the thermal design of buildings
Effect of heating with orientation of building
Effect of heating with orientation of building
 Air Movements Through the Building
1. Natural Air Movement (Passive Ventilation):
Wind-Driven Ventilation:
The force of the wind pushes and pulls air through openings in the building's envelope (windows, doors, etc.).
Stack Effect:
Differences in temperature and humidity between indoor and outdoor air cause warm, lighter air to rise and exit
through openings, drawing in cooler, denser air.
Pressure Differences:
Wind creates positive and negative pressure zones around a building, influencing airflow patterns.
Infiltration:
Uncontrolled air movement through gaps and cracks in the building fabric can also contribute to airflow.
 Air Movements Through the Building
2. Mechanical Air Movement (Active Ventilation):
Fans and Blowers: Mechanical systems use fans to move air into, out of, and around a building.
Ducts: Air is delivered to and extracted from spaces through a network of ducts.
HVAC Systems: These systems can control temperature, humidity, and air quality by manipulating airflow.
3. Importance of Air Movement:
Ventilation:
Air movement is essential for replacing stuffy air with fresh air, removing moisture, odors, and pollutants, and
maintaining good indoor air quality.
Temperature Control:
Air movement can help cool or warm a building, depending on the climate and ventilation strategy.
Occupant Comfort and Health:
Proper ventilation contributes to occupant comfort and can reduce the risk of illness associated with poor
indoor air quality.
Energy Efficiency: Natural ventilation can reduce the need for mechanical cooling and heating, saving energy.
 Requirements of ventilations
Air Exchange Rates:
Suitable air exchange rates are needed to ensure fresh air supply and the removal of
indoor pollutants. This is often measured in air changes per hour (ACH) or cubic
feet per minute (CFM).
ASHRAE Standards:
Follow ASHRAE 62.1 (Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality) for
commercial buildings and ASHRAE 62.2 for residential buildings.
Temperature and Humidity Control:
Maintain a comfortable indoor temperature (22-27°C) and humidity levels (40-60%
relative humidity).
Key Components of ASHRAE Ventilation Standard 62.1

Ventilation rates:
1. The minimum amount of fresh air that must be introduced into the building to dilute and
remove indoor pollutants.
2. Ventilation rates are measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM)
3. For example, a classroom might require a ventilation rate of 15 CFM per person
4. Office might require a rate of 20 CFM per person.
Contaminant control:
5. Several ways to control indoor pollutants include using filtration systems, minimizing the
use of chemicals and other contaminants, and designing low-emitting building materials
and furnishings.
6. This standard guides how to control indoor pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Air distribution:
7. Proper air distribution helps ensure that the fresh air is delivered effectively to all parts of
the building, reducing the risk of stagnant air and indoor pollutants.
8. The standard provides guidance on designing and operating ventilation systems to achieve
optimal air distribution, such as using diffusers, air handling units, and ductwork.
Benefits of ASHRAE Ventilation Standard 62.1

• Better occupant health and comfort

• Improving indoor air quality
• Increased energy efficiency
• Controlling compliance
• Reduced liability
Advantages of Natural Ventilation
1. It does not require any mechanical appliances.
2. No operational cost.
3. No maintenance cost for the appliances/ equipment.
4. Silent processes.
5. A combination of ventilation and lighting, which is an additional benefit
Benefits of Natural Ventilation
1. It improves the indoor air quality.
2. Energy savings
3. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
4. It brings positivity and reduces stress.
5. A well-designed natural ventilation system can be used to access a higher level of
daylight inside the building.
Design Considerations for natural ventilation

Design a good layout where cool air enters through an opening and warm air exits through another one.

Orient buildings between 0 and 30 degrees along the dominant wind for better air circulation.

A shelf height of 85% can attract maximum air movement.

Good airflow can be achieved by having openings of the same size and height.

The total window wall (WWR) ratio should be 30% of the floor area.

Design windows along the breezeways to collect cool air.

Comparison of Natural Ventilation and Forced Ventilation
 Natural ventilation is a method of
supplying fresh air to a building or room
by means of passive forces, typically by
wind speed or differences in pressure
internally and externally.
Natural ventilation relies on natural
forces: wind from the surrounding
environment as well as buoyancy
forces that develop due to temperature
gradients within the building.

The following points should be considered while

providing natural ventilation in a room:

• Doors and windows should be so located that

they provide maximum in-flow air.
• The height of the room should be sufficient to
allow air movement.
• Inlet openings should not be obstructed.
 Single-side ventilation involves having openings only
on one external wall and generally towards the wind
direction. Air exchange happens through wind
turbulence.

Cross ventilation, openings are located such that the ones at the receptive end allow maximum inflow of fresh air, and the outlet
openings are placed such that the air gets circulated in the space efficiently and is pushed out with the inflow of fresh air.

Stack ventilation is based on the fact that cooler air is light in weight, and hot and stale air is heavier. Receptive openings are
given on the lower sides in the wind-ward directions and for an outlet, openings are given on the upper side.
 Mechanical Ventilation/Artificial Ventilation:
Exit by Exhaust Fan:
• In this method, the hot air of a room is thrown
outside the room with the help of an exhaust
fan, and the fresh air enters through the doors
and windows.
• The exhaust fan should be set near the ceiling.
ii. Entrance by Exhaust Fan:
• In this method, a fan is set on the outer wall of
the room. It pushes fresh air into the room and
throws out the used hot air of the room through
ventilators.
• These fans should be installed on the doors or
windows at a height more than the head of a
person.

An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) is a type of mechanical equipment that features a heat exchanger combined with a
ventilation system for providing controlled ventilation into a building. This type of equipment was introduced as ‘air-to-air’
heat exchangers in the colder regions of the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Scandinavia. In these areas, tightly built modern
houses were developing problems with indoor air quality and excessive humidity during the winter.
Design parameters influencing the thermal design of buildings
Conduction of heat through slab or plane wall

• Consider slab of uniform

thermal conductivity k,
thickness L, with inner
temp T1 and outer temp T2

• Consider small elemental

area thickness dx
Fourier law of heat conduction
• The rate of heat conduction is proportional to the area measured normal
to the direction of heat flow and to the temperature gradient in that
direction

Heat transfer rate

• A-Area in m2
• dT/dx- Temperature gradient K/m
• k- Thermal conductivity, W/mk
• We know that • Integrating above eqn limits
– Fourier law of heat 0-L and T1-T2
conduction

• R- Thermal resistance (K/W)

 Thermal Conductivity

• The thermal conductivity of a material can be defined as the rate of heat

transfer through a unit thickness of the material per unit temperature
difference. (W/m.K)

• The thermal conductivity of a material is a measure of the ability of the

material to conduct heat.

• A high value for thermal conductivity indicates that the material is a good
heat conductor, and a low value indicates that the material is a poor heat
conductor or insulator.
 PROBLEMS ON SLABS
• 1. Determine the heat transfer through the plane of height
6m, width 4 m and thickness 0.30 m. The temperature of
inner and outer surfaces are 100°C and 40°C. Thermal
conductivity of wall is 0.55 W/mK.
• Given:
1. Inner surface Temperature , T1 = 100°C + 273 =373 K
2. Outer surface Temperature, T2 = 40°C + 273 = 313K
3. Thickness, L = 0.30 m
4. Area, A = 6×4 = 24m2
5. Thermal conductivity, k = 0.55 W/mK
T1 T2
• To find:
1. Heat transfer (Q)
Solution:
• We know that, heat transfer through plane wall is

where
ΔT = T1 –T2
R = L/kA
⇒
1. The wall of a building is a composite consisting of a 250-mm layer of common brick (k = 0.72 W/m. K), and 10-mm
layers of gypsum plaster (k = 0.12 W/m. K) on both sides of the bricks. During the hot day (at steady state) the
temperature outside plaster (exposed to ambient air) is 40 ºC and the temperature of inside plaster (exposed to inside air)
is 25 ºC. Find (i) the heat flow rate through the wall per unit area of the wall and (ii) the temperature of the interface of
brick and outside plaster.
Determine the overall heat loss coefficient of 17.00 cm thick RCC roof
slab (k= 0.75 W/m. K) insulated with 4 cm thick expanded polystyrene
(k=0.04 W/m. K) and finished with 3 cm thick brick tiles (k=1.5
W/m. K) on the top, and 1.2 cm thick cement plaster (k = 0.6 W/m. K) on
the bottom. Assume convection heat transfer coefficient inside and
outside the roof as 5 W/m2 K and 20 W/m2 K respectively.