Investigating the role of mechanical and hybrid ventilation methods in improving the IAQ

Atefeh Abbaspour

School of Computing and Engineering

Supervisors:

Professor Ali Bahadori-Jahromi

School of Computing and Engineering

Dr Anastasia Mylona

Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)

Indoor air quality (IAQ) significantly impacts the health, comfort, and academic performance of students and staff in educational buildings. Poor IAQ can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular issues, as well as reduced productivity. This study focuses on assessing the IAQ of a college building in London, utilising real-time monitoring of CO2 concentrations and CONTAM simulation. The study explores the impact of meeting the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) guideline recommendations for ventilation rates on IAQ in high-occupancy areas such as classrooms and laboratories. Additionally, the effectiveness of hybrid ventilation strategies, such as opening windows and doors, is investigated. The findings reveal a significant gap between the actual ventilation rates and CIBSE recommendations. Meeting CIBSE recommendations is essential for ensuring indoor air safety, particularly concerning CO2 concentrations. Furthermore, the best scenario for hybrid ventilation involved keeping one window and the door of each room consistently 30% open within 15 to 25 minutes after classes commenced. This approach effectively maintained CO2 levels in all rooms below the 1000 ppm limit. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of improving ventilation in educational buildings and the effectiveness of hybrid ventilation strategies to enhance IAQ.