Energy, Thermal Comfort and Air Quality in a Ventilation System Based on Confluent Jets

In this study a ventilation system based on vertical confluent jets is developed and applied. The energy consumption, thermal comfort level, indoor air quality level and Air Distribution Index are evaluated and discussed. The study presented in this work is performed in a virtual chamber with dimensions of 4.50 × 2.55 × 2.50 m3. The chamber, occupied with twelve virtual occupants, is equipped with six tables, twelve chairs, one outlet system and one inlet system, based in confluents jets system. This simulation considers the descendent inlet airflow, near the lateral walls. In the outlet system are considered six air ducts, located above the head level, connected to the ceiling area. The inlet system, based in two horizontal ducts, with 0.15 m diameter, located 1.8 m above the floor level, are equipped with consecutive holes, that promote vertical descendent jets near the wall. The predicted percentage of dissatisfied index results show that the comfort level is acceptable. The dioxide carbon concentration show that the indoor air quality, in general, is acceptable. When the airflow rate increases the air quality number increases and the thermal comfort number decreases. Thus, the Air Distribution Index increases slightly.