Application of the mechanical ventilation in elevator shaft space to mitigate stack effect under operation stage in high-rise buildings

Even though the measures to minimize the stack effect in high-rise buildings were taken that include a revolving door on the lobby floor, additional barriers to the passage of air in the lower part of the building, and air-tightness reinforcement for elevator doors, the stack effect is still present during cold season in Korea. However, it is difficult to fully apply the measures for stack effect under occupied condition in high-rise buildings. In this study, as an advanced method to lower the stack effect in high-rise buildings under occupied condition, mechanical ventilation in elevator shaft space, which cools the shaft space with outdoor air and reduces the temperature or pressure differences between indoor air in shaft and outdoor air, was proposed. In this paper, the application details and performance analyses of the installed shaft cooling system in a completed building in Korea were described. Also, as a measure to improve the performance of the applied system, concentrated cooling in the lower part of the elevator shaft where there is a main air flow passage was proposed. As a result, cooling effect of mechanical ventilation system in elevator shaft was improved and the extent of stack effect in winter was decreased effectively.