Experimental Study of Pollutant Transfer within Dwellings

TL;DR

This experimental study investigates how a specific mechanical ventilation system in French homes affects pollutant transfer, revealing that internal doors and stack effect significantly influence indoor air quality and pollutant distribution.

Contribution

It provides experimental data on pollutant transfer dynamics in residential settings, highlighting the impact of internal doors and stack effect on ventilation efficiency.

Findings

Internal doors significantly affect pollutant distribution.

Stack effect promotes pollutant movement to bedrooms.

Increasing window opening does not always improve air quality.

Abstract

A mechanical ventilation principle used in French residential buildings was tested in the experimental house of the CSTB research centre. The experiments dealt with pollutant removal efficiency of this ventilation principle, mainly with air tightness and the influence of internal doors. Tracer gas constant injection method was used to simulate the pollution source in the living room. SF6 concentrations were measured in several rooms. The results showed that the air flow routes were in agreement with the theory as long as internal doors were closed. When doors were open, the air pattern was disturbed a lot; a great quantity of the emitted pollutant was measured in the bedrooms. Besides, stack effect promotes the pollutant moving towards the bedrooms under higher indoor-outdoor air temperature differences. In addition, the results showed that if the opening of the bedroom window increases the air change rate, it does not guarantee a good indoor air quality.