Multizone Modeling of Three Residential Indoor Air Quality Control Options

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) performed a preliminary study of the use of central forced-air heating and cooling system modifications to control indoor air quality (IAW) in residential buildings. The objective of the effort was to provide insight into the use of state-of-the-art multizone airflow and IAQ models to evaluate such modifications, the potential of these modifications to mitigate residential IAW problems, the pollutant sources they are most likely to impact, and their potential limitations. The multizone airflow and pollutant transport program CONTAM93 was used to simulate the pollutant concentrations due to a variety of sources in eight buildings with typical HVAC systems under different weather conditions. Three indoor air quality control technologies were incorporated into the house models to determine their effectiveness in controlling the modeled pollutant sources. The technologies include the following: electrostatic particulate filtration, heat recovery ventilation, and an outdoor air intake damper on the forced-air system return.