TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimizing the Return Vent Height for Improved Performance in Stratified Air Distribution Systems
AU - Qiao, Danping
AU - Wu, Shihai
AU - Zhang, Nan
AU - Qin, Chao
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors appreciate funding support from the Chunhui Project Foundation of the Education Department of China (202202177) and the General Project of the Social Science Achievement Evaluation Committee of Hunan Province (XSP2023FXC075).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2024/4
Y1 - 2024/4
N2 - One of the factors that strongly impacts the efficacy of stratified air distribution (STRAD) systems is the return vent height (H), for which different studies have yielded different suggested values. This theoretical research uses a displacement ventilation (DV) system as an example to examine how the H affects the efficacy of STRAD systems through analysis of the trade-offs between the cost of the vertical temperature gradient and the benefits of energy reduction. The key results are as follows: (a) The energy savings due to a lower H are smaller than the cost of the vertical temperature gradient for all STRAD systems. (b) With a supply temperature (Ts) set at 18 °C, elevated return vent positions can result in excessively cooled areas, while extremely low vent positions create a temperature gradient exceeding 3 °C between the head and ankles. (c) The TOPSIS methodology reveals that the optimal H value lies in the range of 1.5–2.3 m when Ts is 18 °C. (d) When adjusting the Ts value to achieve thermal neutrality, 2.3 m is identified as the optimal H value, demonstrating superior performance over the 1.5 m to 2.3 m range at 18 °C Ts. These findings highlight the benefit of a higher H for STRAD systems and the significance of configuring ventilation systems for thermal neutrality.
AB - One of the factors that strongly impacts the efficacy of stratified air distribution (STRAD) systems is the return vent height (H), for which different studies have yielded different suggested values. This theoretical research uses a displacement ventilation (DV) system as an example to examine how the H affects the efficacy of STRAD systems through analysis of the trade-offs between the cost of the vertical temperature gradient and the benefits of energy reduction. The key results are as follows: (a) The energy savings due to a lower H are smaller than the cost of the vertical temperature gradient for all STRAD systems. (b) With a supply temperature (Ts) set at 18 °C, elevated return vent positions can result in excessively cooled areas, while extremely low vent positions create a temperature gradient exceeding 3 °C between the head and ankles. (c) The TOPSIS methodology reveals that the optimal H value lies in the range of 1.5–2.3 m when Ts is 18 °C. (d) When adjusting the Ts value to achieve thermal neutrality, 2.3 m is identified as the optimal H value, demonstrating superior performance over the 1.5 m to 2.3 m range at 18 °C Ts. These findings highlight the benefit of a higher H for STRAD systems and the significance of configuring ventilation systems for thermal neutrality.
KW - displacement ventilation
KW - E-TOPSIS
KW - indoor air quality
KW - return vent height
KW - stratified air distribution
KW - thermal comfort
KW - thermoneutral condition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85191401371&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/buildings14041008
DO - 10.3390/buildings14041008
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85191401371
SN - 2075-5309
VL - 14
JO - Buildings
JF - Buildings
IS - 4
M1 - 1008
ER -
