MECHANICAL VENTILATION

Module 3
Mechanical Ventilation :Standard
requirements of ventilation for different
conditions of living and works. Conditions for
comfort. Control of quality, quantity,
temperature and humidity of air.
 Definition

• “the process of changing air in an

• enclosed space”
• Indoor air is withdrawn and replaced by
fresh air continuously from clean external
source
 The importance of ventilation
• – to maintain air purity, i.e.:
• preservation of O2 content – this should be maintained at
approximately 21% of air volume
• removal of CO2
• control of humidity – between 30 & 70% RH is acceptable for
• human comfort
• prevention of heat concentrations from machinery, lighting
• and people
• prevention of condensation
• dispersal of concentrations of bacteria
• dilution and disposal of contaminants such as smoke, dust
gases and body odours
• provisions of freshness – an optimum air velocity lies
between 0.15 and 0.5 ms-1
 VENTILATION
REQUIREMENTS
• Control of ventilation rates - normally
• based on recommendations by authorities or
code of practice. e.g. BS 5720
Table 2.0 - Air changes rates (BS 5720)
• Conversion from “m3/hour per person” to “air
• changes per hour”
• (Air supply rate x nos. occupants)/Room volume

Example 1
• A private office of 30 m3 volume designed for 2
people
• 43/30 x 2 = 2.86 air changes per hour
 MECHANICAL VENTILATION
• An alternative to the unreliable natural
• Systems
Components involved:
• Fan
• Filters
• Ductwork
• Fire dampers
• Diffusers
Table 1.0 - Fresh air supply rates (BS 5720)
 Fans

• Provide the motive for air movement

• (imparting static energy or pressure and
• kinetic energy or velocity)
• It’s capacity for air movement depends on
• Type
• Size
• Shape
• Number of blades
• Speed
• Basic law of fan capabilities (at a constant air
density):
• 1. Volume of air varies in direct proportion to
the fan speed, i.e.
• 2. Pressure of, or resistance to, air movement
is proportional to fan speed squared, i.e.
• 3. Air and impeller power is proportional to
fan speed cubed, i.e.
Example 2
• A fan of 2kW power discharges 4 m3/s
• with impellers rotating at 1000 rpm to
• produce a pressure of 250 Pa. If the fan
• impeller speed increases to 1250 rpm,
• calculate Q, P and W.
• As fans are not totally efficient, the following
formula may be applied to determine the
percentage
 Types of fan
• 1. Cross-flow or tangential
• 2. Propeller
• 3. Axial flow
• 4. Centrifugal
 Cross-flow or tangential fan

• Tangential or cross-flow fan

Tangential flow fan
How tangential flow fans work
 Propeller fan

Wall mounted propeller fan Free standing propeller fan

Types of propeller fans
Axial flow fan
 Filters
Four categories of filters
• 1. Dry
• 2. Viscous
• 3. Electrostatic
• 4. Activated carbon
HEPA filters
Ductwork
Table 3.0 - Ductwork data
 SYSTEMS

• Mechanical ventilation systems

• Mechanical extract/natural supply
• Mechanical supply/natural supply
• Combined mechanical extract & supply
 VENTILATION DESIGN

• Three methods of designing ductwork and fan:

• Equal velocity method : the designer selects the same
air velocity for use through out the system
• Velocity reduction method: the designer selects
variable velocities appropriate to each section or
branch of ductwork
• Equal friction method: the air velocity in the main duct
is selected and the size and friction determined from a
design chart. The same frictional resistance is used for
all other sections of ductwork
• Equal velocity method
• Air velocity throughout the system (duct A &
• duct B) = 5 m/s (selected based on Table
• 4.0)
• Q, the quantity of air = 0.4 m3/s is equally
• extracted through grille
• Duct A will convey 0.8 m3/s; duct B will
• convey 0.4 m3/s
• Velocity reduction method
• 􀁼 Selected air velocity in duct A = 6 m/s
• 􀁼 Selected air velocity in duct B = 3 m/s
• 􀁼 Q, the quantity of air = 0.4 m3/s is equally extracted
• through grille
• 􀁺 Duct A will convey 0.8 m3/s; duct B will convey 0.4
• m3/s
• 􀁼 From the design chart
• 􀁺 Duct A and B are both coincidentally 420 mm Ø
• Friction in duct A = 1.00 Pa x 5 m = 5.0 Pa
• Friction in duct B = 0.26 Pa x 10 m = 2.6 Pa
• Total = 7.6 Pa
• Therefore, the fan rating or specification is 0.8
m3/s at 7.6
• Pa
• Equal friction method
• 􀁼 Selected air velocity through duct A = 5 m/s
• 􀁼 Calculated airflow through duct A = 0.8 m3/s
• 􀁼 Calculated airflow through duct B = 0.4 m3/s
• From the chart:
• Duct A at 0.8 m3/s = 450 Ø with a frictional
• resistance of 0.65 Pa/m
• Duct B (using the same friction) at 0.4 m3/s = 350 Ø
• with an air velocity of approximately 4.2 m/s
• The fan rating is 0.8 m3/s at 0.65 Pa/m x 15 m =
• 9.75 Pa
• 􀁼 Determination of sufficient air changes
• 􀁼 e.g.:
• 􀁺 Library (max. velocity of 2.5 m/s with a max.
• resistance of 0.4 Pa/m length) – from Table 4.0
• From the chart:
• Maximum air discharged, Q = 0.1 m3/s
• Duct size = 225 mm Ø
• Natural ventilation
• Natural ventilation harnesses naturally available forces to
supply and remove air in an enclosed space.
• There are three types of natural ventilation occurring in
buildings: wind driven ventilation, pressure-driven flows,
and stack ventilation.
• The pressures generated by 'the stack effect' rely upon the
buoyancy of heated or rising air. 
• Wind driven ventilation relies upon the force of the
prevailing wind to pull and push air through the enclosed
space as well as through breaches in the building’s envelope.
• Seoul University Professor Wonjun Kwon recently discovered
a new way to ventilate large area of indoor space. The so-
called "air pump" system uses pressure between inside and
outside of rooms to push air out of a structure.
(see Infiltration (HVAC)).
• Almost all historic buildings were ventilated naturally.
• The technique was generally abandoned in larger US buildings during the
late 20th century as the use of air conditioning became more widespread.
• However, with the advent of advanced Building Performance
Simulation (BPS) software, improved Building Automation Systems
(BAS), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) design
requirements, and improved window manufacturing techniques; natural
ventilation has made a resurgence in commercial buildings both globally
and throughout the US.
The benefits of natural ventilation include:
• Improved Indoor air quality (IAQ)
• Energy savings
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
• Occupant control
• Reduction in occupant illness associated with Sick Building Syndrome
• Increased worker productivity
 Mechanical ventilation strategies
Mechanical ventilation of buildings and
structures can be achieved by use of the
following techniques:
• Whole-house ventilation
• Mixing ventilation
• Displacement ventilation
• Dedicated sub-aerial air supply
Demand-controlled ventilation (DCV)
• Demand-controlled ventilation (DCV, also known as Demand
Control Ventilation) makes it possible to maintain air quality
while conserving energy.
• ASHRAE has determined that: "It is consistent with the
ventilation rate procedure that demand control be permitted
for use to reduce the total outdoor air supply during periods of
less occupancy.”
• In a DCV system, CO2 sensors control the amount of
ventilation. During peak occupancy, CO2 levels rise, and the
system adjusts to deliver the same amount of outdoor air as
would be used by the ventilation-rate procedure. However,
when spaces are less occupied, CO2 levels reduce, and the
system reduces ventilation to conserves energy. DCV is a well-
established practice, and is required in high occupancy spaces
by building energy standards such as ASHRAE 90.1.
Personalized ventilation
• Personalized ventilation is an air distribution
strategy that allows individuals to control the
amount of ventilation received.
• The approach deliver fresh air more directly to
the breathing zone and aims to improve air
quality of inhaled air.
• Personalized ventilation provides a much higher
ventilation effectiveness than conventional
mixing ventilation systems by displacing pollution
from the breathing zone far less air volume.
• Beyond improved air quality benefits, the
strategy can also improve occupant's thermal
comfort, perceived air quality, and overall
satisfaction with the indoor environment.
• Individual's preferences for temperature and air
movement are not equal, and so traditional
approaches to homogeneous environmental
control have failed to achieve high occupant
satisfaction.
• Techniques such as personalized ventilation
facilitate control of a more diverse thermal
environment that can improve thermal
satisfaction for most occupants.
• Mechanical systems
• A more sophisticated system involving the use of mechanical
equipment to circulate the air was developed in the mid
19th century. A basic system of bellows was put in place to
ventilate Newgate Prison and outlying buildings, by the
engineer Stephen Hales in the mid-1700s. The problem with
these early devices was that they required constant human
labour to operate. David Boswell Reid was called to testify
before a Parliamentary committee on proposed
architectural designs for the new House of Commons, after
the old one burned down in a fire in 1834. [36] In January
1840 Reid was appointed by the committee for the 
House of Lords dealing with the construction of the
replacement for the Houses of Parliament. The post was in
the capacity of ventilation engineer, in effect; and with its
creation there began a long series of quarrels between Reid
and Charles Barry, the architect.[39]
• Reid advocated the installation of a very advanced ventilation
system in the new House. His design had air being drawn into an
underground chamber, where it would undergo either heating or
cooling. It would then ascend into the chamber through thousands
of small holes drilled into the floor, and would be extracted through
the ceiling by a special ventilation fire within a great stack. [40]
• Reid's reputation was made by his work in Westminster. He was
commissioned for an air quality survey in 1837 by the 
Leeds and Selby Railway in their tunnel.[41] The steam vessels built
for the Niger expedition of 1841 were fitted with ventilation
systems based on Reid's Westminster model.[42] Air was dried,
filtered and passed over charcoal.[43][44] Reid's ventilation method
was also applied more fully to St. George's Hall, Liverpool, where
the architect, Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, requested that Reid should
be involved in ventilation design.[45] Reid considered this the only
building in which his system was completely carried out
• Fans[edit]
• With the advent of practical steam power, fans could finally
be used for ventilation. Reid installed four steam powered
fans in the ceiling of St George's Hospital in Liverpool, so
that the pressure produced by the fans would force the
incoming air upward and through vents in the ceiling.
Reid's pioneering work provides the basis for ventilation
systems to this day.[40] He was remembered as "Dr. Reid the
ventilator" in the twenty-first century in discussions of 
energy efficiency, by Lord Wade of Chorlton.[47]
• Problems[edit]
• In hot, humid climates, unconditioned ventilation air will
deliver approximately one pound of water each day for
each cfm of outdoor air per day, annual average. This is a
great deal of moisture, and it can create serious indoor
moisture and mold problems.
• Ventilation efficiency is determined by design and layout, and is
dependent upon placement and proximity of diffusers and return air
outlets. If they are located closely together, supply air may mix with stale
air, decreasing efficiency of the HVAC system, and creating air quality
problems.
• System imbalances occur when components of the HVAC system are
improperly adjusted or installed, and can create pressure differences (too
much circulating air creating a draft or too little circulating air creating
stagnancy).
• Cross-contamination occurs when pressure differences arise, forcing
potentially contaminated air from one zone to an uncontaminated zone.
This often involves undesired odors or VOCs.
• Re-entry of exhaust air occurs when exhaust outlets and fresh air intakes
are either too close, or prevailing winds change exhaust patterns, or by
infiltration between intake and exhaust air flows.
• Entrainment of contaminated subaerial air through intake flows will result
in indoor air contamination. There are a variety of contaminated air
sources, ranging from industrial effluent to VOCs put off by nearby
construction work