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Controlling the Microclimate around the Head with Local Ventilation
Start Date 05/01/2007
End Date 07/31/2010
Primary Partner: Syracuse University
Primary Contact: Higuchi, Hiroshi - Professor
Other Project Contacts:
Arens, Edward - Co-Principal Investigator
Hui, Zhang - Co-Principal Investigator
Project Type: CARTI I
Technical Description:
This project is collaborative research between Syracuse University and the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) at University of California. A microclimate control system designed at CBE is tested with human subjects at CBE and with thermal, breathing manikins at Syracuse. While lower air temperature and high ventilation rates are cited as beneficial in terms of air quality and productivity, sensitivities to air flow direction, magnitude, and turbulence level have not been fully documented. The mixing process of ambient room pollutant/particulates and the fresh air from microclimate control system near the human breathing zone is examined. Detailed time-dependent flowfield measurements around a thermal manikin is conducted in the laboratory using particle image velocimetry. Since occupants in the office environment must be given overall thermal comfort free of draft or dryness of the eyes, this study aims to provide a basis for effective systems for high air quality, comfort, and productivity while taking energy conservation into account.
Expected Outcomes:
Parallel and complementary efforts combining human subject tests and laboratory experiments with physical models are expected to produce fundamental knowledge on physical engineering while implementing the ultimate goal of improving room air quality and environment with actual human feedback.
Accomplishments:
In Syracuse, aerodynamics of the opposing jets from two nozzles were studied with flow visualizations, hotwire and particle image velocimetry. Effects of the nozzle diameter and angles were examined.
While we originally planned to impose pulsation into the exiting jets, we have found natural oscillation in the interaction region. It appears that this was beneficial in the human subject tests.
Parallel human subject tests at UC Berkeley determined the effect of the flow field on human perceptions of air quality and thermal comfort.
Benefits:
Understanding local air flow and breathing environments will lead to the design of improved ventilation systems to enhance work place health, comfort and productivity.
For more information:
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/81d4s6gn
http://www.ecs.syr.edu/faculty/higuchi/scholar.html
Publication/Presentations:
Liu, C., Higuchi, H. Arens, E. and Zhang, H., "Control of the Microclimate around the Head with Opposing Jet Local Ventilation," Healthy Buildings 2009, Sept. 2009 Syracuse, NY.
Ed Arens presented "Thermal Comfort and Perceived Air Quality with an Opposed-jet PEC System" at the 4th Workshop on Personal Environmental Conditioning Systems, Syracuse, NY, September 2009.
Hiroshi Higuchi presented "Fundamental Fluid Dynamics of Opposing Jets and its Application to PECS" at the 4th Workshop on Personal Environmental Conditioning Systems, Syracuse, NY, September 2009.
Zhang, H., Arens, E., Higuchi, H., Liu, C., Pasut, W., Warneke, A., Bauman, F., Hildebrand, P., Duong K., Straka, A., "Executive Summary: Thermal Comfort and Perceived Air Quality of a PEC System", CBE internal report, October 2009.
Zhang, H., E. Arens, D. Kim, E. Buchberger, F. Bauman, and C. Huizenga 2009, "Comfort, Perceived Air Quality, and Work Performance in a Low-Power Task-Ambient Conditioning System," Building and Environment 45(1), 29-39.
Jin, W., Liu, C., Higuchi, H., Arens, E., Zhang, H., “Aerodynamics of Opposing Jet Personalized Environmental Control System,” IAQVEC2010, August 2010 (scheduled)
Invited Talk
"Experimental Investigations on Unsteady Aerodynamics affecting the Microenvironment," Aalborg University, Denmark, April 14, 2009.
Test area at the Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley
Photo Credit: Hiroshi Higuchi, Syracuse University
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