Analysis of three ventilation systems in an office: Mixing, displacement and confluent jet ventilation system. : Analysis of temperature gradient, tracer gas and thermal comfort.

Abstract: Scandinavian countries have always been the first in investigation and development of new ventilation systems. In the last years, engineers from Finland and Sweden are studying a new ventilation system known “Confluent jet ventilation system” which is trying to improve displacement and mixing results. The aim of this thesis master is to study the behaviour of three different ventilation systems, mixing ventilation, displacement ventilation and confluent jet ventilation, in an office room by mean of three analysis, temperature gradient analysis, tracer gas analysis and thermal comfort analysis, and to compare them to know if the new one, confluent jet, increases the performance of mixing or displacement ventilation system. In case of confluent jet ventilation system, there were two different cases: one with the supply air device at 2.2m high, and the other with it at 1.7m high to compare which one was the correct position and gets the best results. For each studied system 3 different cases were analyzed, having the same parameters each one of them for the three ventilation systems.The measurements were taken in an office room located in the laboratory of the University of Gävle, Högskolan I Gävle, in collaboration with the Finnish company specialized in ventilation systems, Stravent. For temperature gradient analysis, ten sensors took temperatures from the low level, 0.1m high, to the top level of the room, 2.4m, during all the time that the other measurements were being taken. For tracer gas analysis, a data logger took measurements of the contaminant concentration, N2O, from when the contaminant was thrown into the room until it disappeared following a Decay curve. Lastly, in thermal comfort analysis 4 transducers took measurements each 12 minutes of air temperature, operative temperature, air velocity and air humidity are measured in 6 different points inside the office room and at 3 different heights, 0.1m, 1.1m and 1.7m. After analyzing the results of temperature gradient, tracer gas and thermal comfort the best results were obtained by confluent jet system with the supply air device at 2.2m in case of temperature gradient, since the difference of temperatures between the low and the top level were the minimum and contaminants and indoor air were not in a homogeneous mixing. In case of tracer gas, the results about air change efficiency were not the expected because they showed a well-mixed situation for every system and it should not have been like that. It was caused for the influence of a cooling system situated in the ceiling of the room and the temperature difference between inside and outside the room that affected more than expected. Finally, in thermal comfort analysis, the best results were obtained by confluent jet ventilation, therefore in case of the supply air device at 2.2m and in case of it at 1.7m. To sum up, taking account the results achieved, the confluent jet ventilation got the best results and showed that it is a new ventilation system that must be taken in consideration in the following buildings. Between supply air device at 2.2m and 1.7m the results were very similar, but a bit better in case of the highest height.