A Visualized Method of Airflow between Adjacent Zones inside a Multizone Building Based on Pressure Difference Frequency: Airflow Mapping

Abstract

The airflow movement inside a multizone building has a significant impact on pollutant transfer, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality. However, there are difficulties in visualizing the airflow movement with existing methods. This study proposes a visualization method for evaluating airflows between adjacent internal zones inside a multizone building based on the analysis of pressure difference frequency. After the distribution of absolute pressure is measured and the wind pressures on the surfaces of the building are calculated, the variation of pressure differences between each couple of adjacent zones is analyzed for three levels: greater than 0 Pa, equal to 0 Pa, and less than 0 Pa (for any given zones selected as target zones). Finally, an airflow mapping is created for each floor using the visNetwork tool based on the R language. A target building was selected for applying the proposed method. The airflow mappings were derived from a detailed analysis of the pressure difference frequency between each couple of adjacent zones, presenting the variations of airflow direction and the dominant airflow during the measurement period in a visualized form. For example, the airflow direction from 1F_Z2 to 1F_Z3 is 92.0%. The spatial similarity in the variations of the airflow directions can also be observed on certain floors. The results of this experimental study show that the airflows between multiple zones can be easily identified without a complex building zone analysis. The variation in internal airflow direction between adjacent zones can be intuitively visualized, providing insight to the airtightness levels of building components. It is also observed that the airflow rates computed based on the airflow mappings can provide more guidance for the control of HVAC systems.