Chapter C3: Ventilation of non-domestic buildings

In commercial buildings the ventilation rates and requirements are usually

higher than that in residential buildings.
Ventilation systems are often made more complex by floor plans that
require provision of mechanical ventilation to all rooms.
Usually outdoor air is treated in an air handling unit and supplied to the
rooms via ductwork.
Conditioning of the air may include cleaning, heating, cooling, humidification
and dehumidification.
Systems outlined:

Constant air flow system (CAV)

Ventilation in chilled beam system
Fan coil system
Variable air volume system (VAV)

Constant air flow system for ventilation

Most common system for mechanical ventilation is illustrated in the Figure below
where outdoor air is filtered and heated in an air handling unit and supplied to rooms.
Ventilation air is heated partly with heat recovered from extract air and district
heating. Room is heated with hot water radiators. The water is heated with district
heating, and flow controlled with thermostatic radiator valves. The air flow is constant
to all rooms. The system in this Figure does not have air conditioning only air
cleaning and heating
Air-handling unit

Radiator and
thermostatic valve
District heating supply

District heating return

District heating substation

Constant air flow system for ventilation

The system illustrated in the Figure below has also cooling coil for air cooling and
dehumidification if necessary. The purpose of supply air is now not only to ventilate
for air quality but also to cool the rooms. Heating can be done also by supply air but
in cold climate radiators are more common as illustrated in the Figure. Cooling can be
done with direct expansion cooling coils or with water chillers with storage capacity.
The system does not have any re-circulated air. Its energy saving function is replaced
with heat recovery.
Air-handling unit

Air cooled
condenser
Chilled water
tank

Water chiller
Radiator and
thermostatic valve
District heating supply

District heating return

District heating substation

Ventilation in chilled beam system

As the cooling or heating demand of room usually leads to higher design air flow than
needed for ventilation commercial buildings are often equipped with specific room
units for cooling. In the Figure below this is done with chilled beams installed in the
ceiling, and controlled by room temperature sensors. Chilled water system serves
both air handling unit and chilled beams. Supply air flow is selected based on
ventilation requirements but is heated or cooled depending on the requirements of
the room. Major part of cooling and heating is still supplied by the water systems
(beams and radiators respectively).

Cooling
Room air
Primary
air

Room air
Cooled air

Ventilation in chilled beam system

In the figure chilled beams are installed in the ceiling and controlled by room
temperature sensors. Cross sections (previous slide) on left illustrate passive cooling
beam and on the right active cooling where the supply air (ventilation air) is integrated
in the beam to improve the heat transfer in the beam). TE = temperature sensor,
ME=moisture sensor, TC=temperature controller.
Air-handling unit

Air cooled
condenser
Chilled water
tank
Chilled beam

Water chiller
Radiator and
thermostatic
valve
District heating supply

District heating return

District heating substation

Fan coil system

In fan coil systems air is circulated via a coil which is heated or cooled with warm or
chilled water. Fan coils can operate also as stand alone units. In that case it may
draw in the outdoor air for ventilation. Fan coils can be placed in the ceiling or below
the window on the floor. Ventilation is separated from fan coils.
Room unit

Water pipes Supply air

Extract
air

Coil for heating

and cooling
Filter
Cooling and
heating water
Secondary
air from
the room

Supply air

Fan

Fan coil under

the window

Variable air volume system (VAV)

The flow of supply air to the rooms can be controlled by a room temperature sensor
for heating or cooling purposes. This variable volume air conditioning system (Figure
C3.6) is common in office buildings. In these systems it is possible that the air flow is
too low for ventilation if the control of the air flow is by room temperature only the
minimum supply air should be guaranteed to all rooms.
Air-handling unit

Air cooled
condenser
Chilled water
tank

Water chiller
Radiator and
thermostatic valve
District heating supply

District heating return

District heating substation

Variable air volume system (VAV)

Due to variable air flow, the energy for conditioning and transferring the air is lower
than with constant air flow (CAV) systems. The pressure in the duct work is kept
constant by controlling the fan speed and dampers. Pressure sensor in the duct work
is used to control the fan speed, and consequently the supply air flow. Since the
average flow of air is smaller, and the fan has a speed control, the energy use of the
system is lower than that of a constant flow system.
Exhaust air
Supply air

System control and

speed control of the fans

Zone control

Removal of Extract Air

Depending on the concentration of pollutants in the extract air, certain design

principles should be followed, and ducts should be designed and maintained in
accordance with the European pre-standard ENV 12097 to prevent leakage of air
from the ducts and to guarantee adequate durability and hygiene
As the quality of extract air depends on the pollutants in the air, its harmful effects
also vary. For design guidance, the extract air is classified according to Table 1. The
examples give an indication of the air quality. In case the extract air contains different
categories of extract air from different rooms, the stream with the highest categorynumber determines the category of the total stream. The hygienic principles of the
treatment of the extract air are given in Table C3.2.

Removal of Extract Air

Table C3.2 Classification of extract air (ETA) (EN 13779)

Category Description
ETA 1

ETA 2

ETA 3

ETA 4

Examples (informative)

Extract air with low pollution level

Air from rooms where the main
Offices, including integrated small storage
emission sources are the building rooms, spaces for public service, class
materials and structures, and air
rooms, stairways, corridors, meeting
from occupied rooms, where the
rooms, commercial spaces with no
main emission sources are
additional emission sources.
human metabolism and building
materials and structures. Rooms
where smoking is allowed are
excluded.
Extract air with moderate pollution level
Air from occupied rooms, which
Lunchrooms, tea kitchens, stores, storages
contains more impurities than
of office buildings, hotel rooms, dressing
category 1 from the same
rooms.
sources and/or also from human
activities. Rooms which shall
otherwise fall in category ETA 1
but where smoking is allowed.
Extract air with high pollution level
Air from rooms where emitted
Toilets and wash rooms, saunas, kitchens,
moisture, processes, chemicals
some chemistry laboratories, copying
etc. substantially reduce the
plants, rooms specially designed for
quality of the air.
smokers.
Extract air with very high pollution level
Air which contains odours and
Exhaust hoods in professional use, grills
impurities detrimental to health in and local kitchen exhausts, garages and
significantly higher concentrations drive tunnels, car parks, rooms for
than those allowed for indoor air
handling paints and solvents, rooms for unin occupied zones.
washed laundry, rooms for foodstuff waste,
central vacuum cleaning systems, heavily
used smoking rooms and certain chemistry
laboratories.

Removal of Extract Air

Table C3.2 Categories of extract air and its exhaust principles (EN
13779).
Category ETA 1:

Extract air can be collected into a common duct.

Category ETA 2:

Extract air can be collected into a common duct.

Category ETA 3:

Extract air is generally conducted through individual ducts, or

common ducts from different spaces of the same category, outdoors
or into a collection duct or an extract air chamber
Extract air is conducted to the outdoors through individual extract air
ducts.

Category ETA 4:

Air recirculation

The reuse of extract air is dependent on the specific situation. In order to achieve a
low energy use the supply air rate should be as low as possible and those emissions
that are not desirable (heat, pollution, and moisture) should be removed by measures
at the source or by direct extraction in a closed system. In this case and in most
cases in which a good air quality in the room is needed, no recirculation of air should
be used. If the heating-up of a space before occupancy (pre-heating) is done with a
ventilation system, it should be achieved mainly with re-circulated air.

Table C3.3 Re-use of extract air and use of transfer air.

Category

Comment concerning the possible re-use of the air

(see table C3.2)

ETA 1
ETA 2
ETA 3
ETA 4

This air is suitable for recirculated and transfer air

This air is not suitable for recirculated air but it can be used for transfer
air into toilets, wash rooms, garages and other similar spaces
This air is not suitable for recirculated or transfer air
This air is not suitable for recirculated or transfer air

Heating demand of air flow

vent c pa q m (t sup t out )

vent

is the heating demand, kW

cpa
is the specific heat capacity of air, kJ/kgK
qm
is the mass flow of the air, kg/s
tsup is the supply air temperature, C
tout
is the outdoor temperature, C

Cooling demand of air flow

c q m (h1 h2 ) q v (h1 h2 )
c

=
qm

qv
h2
h1

is the power required for cooling the air flow, kW

=
is the mass flow to the air, kg/s
=
is the density of the air, kg/m3 ( = 1.20 kg/m3, when t = 20 C)
=
is the air flow, m3/s
=
is the enthalpy of the air before the cooling coil, kJ/kg
=
is the enthalpy of the air after the cooling coil, kJ/kg

Questions

A room with a floor area of 30 m2 is heated and cooled

with air. The need for ventilation is 2 L/s,m2, the need
for heating is 20 W/m2 and the need for cooling is
40 W/ m2. No condensation.

Which load defines the supply air flow and how much is that?
Outdoor design temperature is 10 C for heating and +35 C
for cooling. Design indoor room temperature is 21 C for
heating and 25 C for cooling. No air-recirculation is used.
How much cooling capacity is saved in in the previous
example if the difference between supply air and ventilation air
requirements is provided by re-circulated air?