Comparison of Mixed and Stratified Ventilation Systems in Production Areas: Experimental and Simulation Studies

Ventilation system can have significant influences on the energy consumption, especially in factories with high thermal loads. To remove generated thermal and mass loads from manufacturing areas, several mechanisms can be applied: mixing and layering ventilation.This paper shows experimental studies to compare mixed and stratified ventilation systems for industrial buildings. These experiments were conducted in a factory model with a scale of 1:2.5. The measurements consist of vertical distribution of carbon dioxide concentration and temperature in the ambient room. Additionally, a simulation study was conducted based on the same factory model to predict the annual energy demand of mixed and stratified ventilation systems in different climatic regions. The simulation models were validated with measurements from machines and devices in the authors’ laboratories and in the factories of project partners.The results show advantages in airflow, air quality, cooling capacity and energy demand at different climatic zones when using stratified ventilation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME