Air pollution of late has been the focus of many studies due to the detrimental health risks that it poses to individuals. University environments have several academic departments with peculiar activities that could be affecting the indoor and outdoor air quality (AQ) of these environments. University settings differ from other environments because of the variety of activities and different lines of work that go on inside buildings housing academic departments and their surroundings, which are likely to have an impact on indoor air quality (IAQ) and outdoor air quality (OAQ) in this environment. Only a few AQ studies have been done in university sites and surrounds worldwide and in these studies, IAQ was given primary importance; whereas, the outdoor environment was and is often neglected. A study comparing both IAQ and OAQ is critical to further understand the relationship between IAQ and OAQ within a university campus. The University of Limpopo (UL) in the Mankweng township of South Africa has been undergoing some refurbishments with numerous construction activities going on in addition to the academic activities of UL. These activities may be affecting the AQ in this unique environment. The main aim of this study was to determine differences between indoor and outdoor AQ in a university environment and to understand how AQ in this unique environment varies with seasons and building function. The study was carried out in three buildings housing three different academic departments in UL namely: Department of Physiology and Environmental Health (PEH), Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Biotechnology (BMBT) and the Department of Biodiversity (BIOD). Twenty indoor and 20 outdoor measuring sites were identified per departmental building from where real-time measurements of 11 AQ parameters (linear air velocity (LAV), dry-bulb temperature (Tdb), relative humidity (RH), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) were taken over three consecutive days per season. Thus, a total of 60 indoor and 60 outdoor measurements were taken for each parameter in each of the three buildings of interest per season, leading to 360 measurements per season and 1440 measurement per parameter over the one-year period of study across the study area. A hot-wire anemometer was used to measure LAV, whereas the Q-Trak indoor AQ monitor was used in the measurement of Tdb, RH, CO and CO2. Aeroqual AQ monitors were employed in the measurement of O3, SO2, NO2, H2S, NMHCs and VOCs. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to determine differences between indoor and outdoor environments. Significant differences were found between the indoor and outdoor environments for LAV (all three buildings), Tdb (PEH and BMBT), RH (BIOD), O3 (all three buildings), NO2 (all three buildings), CO (all three buildings), CO2 (all three buildings), NMHCs (BMBT and BIOD), and VOCs (all three buildings) (p < 0.05). Linear air velocity, O3, SO2, CO, CO2, and H2S values/concentrations across the indoor/outdoor environments were within the ASHRAE/DEA/WHO guidelines/standards, whereas Tdb, RH and NO2 values/concentrations were not. Air quality in the study area varied with building, with the best AQ across both the indoor and outdoor environments being within the BIOD building, whilst the worst AQ across both environments was encountered in the PEH building. Seasonal differences between buildings were also identified between indoor and outdoor environments among the PEH, BMBT and BIOD buildings (p < 0.008). Across the indoor environment, the winter season was found to be the season with the best AQ, since all the pollutants were found at minimum concentrations. Factors affecting AQ in the study area included thermal comfort, occupant densities, building function, laboratory emissions, renovation activities, generators, vehicular emissions, among others. The best AQ across the outdoor environment occurred during the autumn season, since all the air pollutants were present at minimal concentrations during this time. The best predictors of LAV, Tdb, CO, CO2, NO2, and NMHCs were seasons (R2 = 1.000, p < 0.01). For the parameters RH, H2S, and VOCs, the best predictor was building type (R2 = 1.000, p < 0.01). The indoor and outdoor environment were the best predictors for SO2 (R2 = 0.999, p < 0.01). Ozone had no single predictor that was found to significantly influence its concentration in this study. In relation to an air pollution index (API), generally all pollutant indices fell within the fair, good to very good range when using mean and maxima concentrations, whereas, corresponding NO2 concentrations throughout the study fell within the poor to very poor range (105.660–250.000). University management should take into consideration ventilation in laboratories, occupant densities and location of standby generators and car parks in the management of AQ on the university campus. All heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems need to be upgraded and work in tandem with natural ventilation when having high occupant densities within buildings. Future studies in this sector could incorporate larger sample sizes, be designed as a longitudinal study, and make use of questionnaires and sample more AQ parameters to get a detailed understanding of a university site and its surrounds. / Environmental Sciences / Ph. D. (Environmental Science)

Es ist ein politisch erklärtes Ziel, den Ausstoß von klimaschädlichen Treibhausgasen weltweit zu verringern. Eine wesentliche Stellschraube im Gebiet des Bauwesens stellt hierbei die Einsparung von Energien zur Raumkonditionierung dar. Diese wird unter anderem über das Lüftungskonzept beeinflusst. Die Belüftung von Gebäuden ist zwingend notwendig, um die Emissionen der Baustoffe und die der Menschen, beispielsweise ihren CO2-Ausstoß über die Atmung, abzuführen und der Schimmelbildung vorzubeugen. Erfolgt die Belüftung über öffenbare Fenster – natürliche Lüftung – wird so allerdings energetisch aufwändig temperierte Raumluft mit untemperierter Außenluft ausgetauscht. Daraus können Wärmeverluste und thermisches Unbehagen resultieren. Energieeffiziente Technologien sind ventilatorgestützte Lüftungssysteme mit Wärmerückgewinnung. Doch nicht für alle Gebäudekonzepte und Nutzer stellen diese Lüftungskonzepte einen hohen Nutzerkomfort dar. Korrelationen zwischen Gebäuden mit ventilatorgestützten Lüftungsystemen und dem Sick-Building-Syndrom sind in der Literatur beschrieben, während hier für natürliche Lüftungskonzepte keine Korrelation besteht. Stattdessen wird in Nutzerbefragungen der natürlichen Lüftung eine hohe Akzeptanz zugeschrieben. Mit elektrisch angetriebenen Fenstern kann die natürliche Lüftung nutzerunabhängig gesteuert und so Wärmeverluste und thermisches Unbehagen kontrolliert werden. Bisher sind die Auslegungen solcher kontrollierten natürlichen Lüftungskonzepte noch sehr planungsintensiv. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist es, für Büro- und Verwaltungsgebäude Öffnungs- und Schließsignale einer kontrollierten natürlichen Lüftung zu geben. Diese zeichnen sich darüber aus, dass sie ein gesundes Raumklima, eine hohe Nutzerbehaglichkeit und Energieeffizienz über den Jahresverlauf schaffen und auf ihre Robustheit gegenüber Änderungen von Gebäuderandbedingungen überprüft sind. Für das Ziel wird ein über CO2- und Temperatursensoren gesteuertes Fenstersystem mittels dynamisch thermischer Gebäudesimulationen in vier Varianten von Schließsignalen auf thermische Behaglichkeit und Energiebedarf untersucht. Die Grundlage dazu stellt die bezüglich Entwurf, Konstruktion und Nutzung allgemeingültige Entwicklung eines Büroraums dar. Der Büroraum wird im Simulationsmodell abgebildet und in Realität errichtet. Die Kombination von Simulationsmodell und realem, als experimentellem Teststand ausgeführtem Büroraum ermöglicht verifizierte Ergebnisse. So werden vier Berechnungsmodelle für Luftvolumenströme von Fenstern über den Teststand verifiziert. Dazu dienen Luftwechselmessungen nach der Konstantinjektionsmethode an 173 Fensteröffnungen für fünf Außentemperatur- und elf Windgeschwindigkeitsbereiche. Das Berechnungsmodell nach DIN EN 16798-7 zeigt sich als realitätsnah. Da dieses Berechnungsmodell nicht im Gebäudesimulationsprogramm implementiert ist, wird eine Methode zur Implementierung entwickelt. Über das entwickelte Simulationsmodell zeigt sich, dass eine kombinierte CO2- und temperaturgesteuerte kontrollierte natürliche Lüftung nur zweimal im Jahr ihre Grenzwerte zur Fensteröffnung und -schließung variieren muss, um ganzjährig eine hohe Energieeffizienz und Nutzerbehaglichkeit zu schaffen. Die Schließsignale des sensorgesteuerten Fenstersystems werden in eine Zeitsteuerung überführt. Es zeigt sich, dass für die kühlen Monate jede Öffnung mit identischer Dauer angesetzt werden darf. In wärmeren Monaten muss die Öffnungsdauer in Abhängigkeit der Außentemperatur angepasst werden, so dass eine Zeitsteuerung mit einer Außentemperaturmessung gekoppelt werden muss. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass über eine Variation der Schließsignale einer kontrollierten natürlichen Lüftung die Energieeffizienz und die thermische Behaglichkeit wesentlich gesteigert werden und dass selbst bei geringen Windgeschwindigkeiten und Temperaturdifferenzen die Raumluftqualität stets gewährleistet ist. Für nahezu alle Standorte in Deutschland kann die kontrollierte natürliche Lüftung so den Kühlbedarf der untersuchten Büroräume eliminieren, ohne in einer sommerlichen Überhitzung der Räume zu resultieren. Die entwickelten und bezüglich Raumluftqualität und thermischer Behaglichkeit charakterisierten Sensor- und Zeitsteuerungen tragen dazu bei, die kontrollierte natürliche Lüftung als wartungsarme, technikreduzierte Alternative zu der ventilatorgestützten Lüftung zu etablieren.:1 Einleitung 2 Natürliche Lüftung 3 Kontrollmöglichkeiten der natürlichen Lüftung 4 Entwicklung der Untersuchungsmodelle 5 Voruntersuchungen 6 Sensorsteuerung für den Basisraum 7 Zeitsteuerung für den Basisraum 8 Übertragung auf unterschiedliche Gebäuderandbedingungen 9 Diskussion und Empfehlungen 10 Zusammenfassung und Ausblick 11 Literatur 12 Abbildungsnachweis 13 Bezeichnungen 14 Anhang / It is a politically declared goal to reduce the emission of climate-damaging greenhouse gases worldwide. To support this goal by the building industry a key driver is the saving of energy for room conditioning. Among other factors, this is influenced by the ventilation concept. Also the ventilation of buildings is absolutely necessary in order to remove the emissions of the building materials and those of the people, for example their CO2 emissions through breathing as well as to prevent mould. However, if ventilation is carried out via openable windows - natural ventilation - then energetically expensive tempered room air is exchanged with cold outside air. This could result in heat loss and thermal discomfort. Mechanical ventilation systems with heat recovery are energy-efficient technologies. However, these ventilation concepts do not represent a high level of user comfort for all building concepts and users. Correlations between buildings with mechanical ventilation systems and sick building syndrome are described in the literature, while there is no such correlation for natural ventilation concepts. Instead, a high level of acceptance is attributed to it in user surveys. With electrically driven and controlled windows, natural ventilation can be controlled independently from the user, thus minimizing heat loss and thermal discomfort. So far, the design of such controlled natural ventilation concepts is still very planning-intensive. The aim of this work is to provide opening and closing signals for controlled natural ventilation in office buildings. These are characterized for their capability to create a high indoor air quality, high user comfort and high energy efficiency over the course of the year and are tested for their robustness against changes in building characteristics. To achieve this goal, a window system controlled by CO2 and temperature sensors is examined for its impact on thermal comfort and energy demand by means of building simulation tools with four variants of closing signals. As a basis for this examination an office room is utilized that conforms to the current standards in terms of design, construction and use. The office space is transferred to a simulation model and constructed in reality. The combination of the simulation model and the real office space, which is designed as an experimental test rig, enables verified results. Thus, four calculation models for air flow volumes of windows are verified via the test rig. Air exchange measurements according to the constant injection method on 173 window openings for five outdoor temperature and eleven wind speed ranges are used for this purpose. The calculation model according to DIN EN 16798-7 proves to be close to reality. Since this calculation model is not implemented in the building simulation program, a method for its implementation is developed. Using the developed simulation model, it is shown that a combined CO2- and temperature-controlled natural ventilation creates a high energy efficiency and user comfort throughout the year by varying its limit values for window opening and closing only twice a year. The closing signals of the sensor controlled window system are transferred to a time control system. It turns out that for the cold months, each opening could be set to the same opening time. In warmer months, the opening time must be adjusted depending on the outside temperature. Thus, a time control should be coupled with an outside air temperature measurement. The results show that by varying the closing signals of a controlled natural ventilation system, the energy efficiency and thermal comfort is significantly increased and that a high indoor air quality is always guaranteed even at low wind speeds and low temperature differences. For almost all locations in Germany, controlled natural ventilation can thus eliminate the cooling requirements in the office spaces studied without overheating in the summer. The developed sensor and time control systems are characterized by high indoor air quality and good thermal comfort. Thus, these systems are a contribution to promote controlled natural ventilation as a low-maintenance and technically reduced alternative to mechanical ventilation.:1 Einleitung 2 Natürliche Lüftung 3 Kontrollmöglichkeiten der natürlichen Lüftung 4 Entwicklung der Untersuchungsmodelle 5 Voruntersuchungen 6 Sensorsteuerung für den Basisraum 7 Zeitsteuerung für den Basisraum 8 Übertragung auf unterschiedliche Gebäuderandbedingungen 9 Diskussion und Empfehlungen 10 Zusammenfassung und Ausblick 11 Literatur 12 Abbildungsnachweis 13 Bezeichnungen 14 Anhang

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In recent years, application of confluent jets for design of ventilation supply devices has been studied. Similarly, numerus studies have been made on the potential and application of variable air volume (VAV) in order to reduce the energy demand of ventilation systems. This study investigates the combination of supply devices based on confluent jets and VAV, both in terms of the nearfield flow behavior of the device and the impact on thermal comfort, indoor air quality and energy efficiency on a classroom-level space when the airflow rate is varied. The method used in this study is an experimental field study where the confluent jets-based supply devices were compared to the previously installed displacement ventilation. The field study evaluated the energy efficiency, thermal comfort and indoor air quality of the two systems. In the case of the confluent jets supply devices, airflow rate was varied in order to see what impact the variation had on the performance of the system for each airflow rate. Furthermore, the confluent jets supply devices were investigated both experimentally and numerically in a well insulated test room to get high resolution data on the particular flow characteristics for this type of supply device when the airflow rate is varied. The results from the field study show nearly uniform distribution of the local mean age of air in the occupied zone, even in the cases of relatively low airflow rates. The airflow rates have no significant effect on the degree of mixing. The thermal comfort in the classroom was increased when the airflow rate was adapted to the heat load compared to the displacement system. The results lead to the conclusion that the combination of supply devices based on confluent jets can reduce energy usage in the school while maintaining indoor air quality and increasing the thermal comfort in the occupied zone. The results from the experimental and numerical study show that the flow pattern and velocity in each nozzle is directly dependent on the total airflow rate. However, the flow pattern does not vary between the three different airflow rates. The numerical investigation shows that velocity profiles for each nozzle have the same pattern regardless of the airflow rate, but the magnitude of the velocity profile increases as the airflow increases. Thus, a supply device of this kind could be used for variable air volume and produce confluent jets for different airflow rates. The results from both studies show that the airflow rate does not affect the distribution of the airflow on both near-field and room level. The distribution of air is nearly uniform in the case of the near-field results and the room-level measurement shows a completely uniform degree of mixing and air quality in the occupied zone for each airflow rate. This means that there is potential for combining these two schemes for designing air distribution systems with high energy efficiency and high thermal comfort and indoor air quality. / Under senare tid har applikation av Confluent jets för design av tilluftsdon studerats. Många studier har även utförts över potentialen av att applicera variabelt luftflöde (VAV) för att minska energianvändningen i ventilationssystem. Denna studie undersöker möjligheten att kombinera Confluent jets-don med VAV, både med avseende på den lokala flödesbilden och dess påverkan på termisk komfort, luftkvalitet och energieffektivitet i en klassrumsmiljö där luftflödes varieras. Denna studie baseras dels på en experimentell fältstudie där tilluftsdon baserade på Confluents jets jämfördes med befintliga deplacerande tilluftsdon. Fältstudien utvärderade energieffektiviteten, den termiska komforten och luftkvaliteten för båda typerna av tillluftsdon. Confluent jets-donen testades under varierat luftflöde för att se påverkan av flödesvariationen på ventilationens prestation under de olika flödena. Utöver fältstudien testades Confluent jets-donen experimentellt och numeriskt i ett välisolerat test-rum för få den detaljerade flödeskarakteristiken för den här typen tilluftsdon vid varierat luftflöde. Resultaten från fältstudien visar på en jämn fördelning av den lokala luftsmedelåldern i vistelsezonen, även för fallen med relativt låga luftflöden. Luftflöden har ingen signifikant effekt på omblandningen. Den termiska komforten i klassrummet ökade när luftflödet anpassades efter värmelasten jämfört med de deplacerande donen. Slutsatsen från fältstudien är att kombinationen av VAV och Confluent jets-don kan användas för att minska energianvändningen på skolan och bevara luftkvaliteten och den termiska komforten i vistelsezonen. Resultaten från den experimental och numeriska studien visar luftflödet och lufthastigheten i varje enskild dysa är direkt beroende på det totala luftflödet genom donet. Dock är flödesfördelningen mellan dysorna oberoende av de tre olika luftflödena. Den numeriska undersökningen visar att flödesprofilen för varje dysa är konstant trots att flödet varieras, men amplituden för varje profil ökar med en höjning av luftflödet. Det betyder att tilluftsdon av den här typen kan användas med VAV för att producera Confluent jets för olika luftflöden. Resultaten från båda studierna visar att luftflöde inte påverkar fördelningen av luften vare sig längs luftdonen eller på rumsnivå. Fördelningen av luften är nästan helt jämn längs donen och på rumsnivå är omblandningen och luftkvalitet den samma för varje luftflöde. Det betyder att det finns potential för att kombinera det här två teknikerna för att designa luftdistribueringssystem med hög energieffektivitet och hög termisk komfort med god luftkvalitet.

<p>This study is focused on the design, production, and operation of a controlled environmental olfaction chamber to evaluate human physiological and emotional response to volatile chemical emissions (VCPs) from scented household products in addition to careful characterization of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in these product emissions. Utilizing proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry, the chamber can collect VCP emissions and identify VOCs present to complete an accurate chemical profile of household and common product emissions not previously known. This instrument is one of the first of its kind and will serve as a key element in understanding the relationship between human physical and cognitive health and the built environment.</p>

Teknik och fastighetsförvaltningen är en förvaltning inom Västerås stad som ansvarar för byggandet av Västerås stad. Förvaltningen är intresserad av att få en bredare kunskap om optimering av underhållssystem för luftkvalitet och hur det skulle leda till energibesparing. Uppkomsten till deras intresse för om optimering av underhållssystem för luftkvalitet och energibesparing, är av anledning att de söker nya innovativa möjligheter att optimera luftkvalitet inom deras befintliga och nya fastigheter inom Västerås stads kommun. Projektgruppen samt teknik och fastighetsförvaltningen valde att lägga fokus på Hamreskolan där de i dagsläget har ett gediget underhållssystem för luftkvaliteten men har en önskan till förbättring. Skälet är deras upplevelse av luftkvalitet som inte är optimal, upplevelsen är att man känner sig trött, att det är kallt och kvavt ibland även för varmt inne i lokalerna. Bra luftkvalite är väsentligt för det påverkar både personalen och eleverna prestationsförmåga prioriterades detta. Målet med detta examensarbete är att presentera förbättringsförslag för att optimera underhållssystemet i Hamreskolan. Underhållssystemet innefattar ventilationssystemet och styrsystemet där dess syfte är att underhålla luftkvaliteten. De metoder som användes för framtagandet av förbättrings förslagen är djup litteraturstudie, platsbesök i Hamreskolan, brainstorming med förvaltare från Teknik och fastighetsförvaltningen samt pugh matris för validering av förbättrings förslagen. I detta examensarbete presenteras och diskuteras de förbättringsförslag som kommer medföra positiva effekter för Hamreskolan vid implementation. Dessa förbättringsförslag behövs inte nödvändigtvist begränsas till endast implementation vid Hamreskolan, det går även att implementera vid flera fastigheter inom Västerås stad, Teknik och fastighetsförvaltning. Vid utvecklande av förbättringsförslagen har realitet för funktionalitet och dess effekt vid implementation i Hamreskolan varit i åtanken. / Technology and property management is an administration within the city of Västerås that is responsible for the construction of the city of Västerås. The administration is interested in gaining a broader knowledge of optimizing maintenance systems for air quality and how it would lead to energy savings. The emergence of their interest in optimizing maintenance systems for air quality and energy savings, is due to seeking new innovative opportunities to optimize air quality within their existing and new properties within the City of Västerås. The project group as well as technology and property management chose to focus on Hamreskolan, where they currently have a solid maintenance system for air quality but have a desire for improvement. The reason is their experience of air quality which is not optimal, the experience is that you feel tired, that it is cold and sometimes even too hot inside the premises. Good air quality is essential because it affects both the staff and the student's performance priorities. The aim of this thesis is to present improvement proposals to optimize the maintenance system in Hamreskolan. The maintenance system includes the ventilation system and the control system where its purpose is to maintain the air quality. The methods used for the preparation of improvement proposals are in-depth literature study, site visits to Hamreskolan, brainstorming with managers from Technology and Property Management and a pugh matrix for validation of improvement proposals. In this thesis, the improvement proposals that will have positive effects for Hamreskolan upon implementation are presented and discussed. These improvement proposals do not necessarily have to be limited to only implementation at Hamreskolan, it is also possible to implement at several properties within the City of Västerås, Technology and property management. In developing the improvement proposals, the reality for functionality and its effect when implemented in Hamreskolan has been in mind.