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Modelling Contaminant Exposure in a Single-family House

Building Technology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

Qingyan Chen

Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, USA

Bénédicte Ribot

Hervé Rivoalen

Research and Development Division, Electricité de France, France

This study simulated occupational exposure to household contaminants in a single-family house under different ventilation, heating, and climatic conditions using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The contaminants studied were carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. This investigation assessed the exposure over the day for a generic occupational schedule of four family members. Characteristically, high degrees of contamination as well as thermal stratification were found during the winter months, where low ventilation rates mimic displacement ventilation. This leads to lower contaminant exposure of the occupants, compared to a situation with completely mixed air. The stratification effect is more efficient at curbing exposure than increasing the global ventilation rate for the cases evaluated.

Key Words: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) • Indoor air quality • Contaminant exposure • Stratification • Ventilation system performance

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