Effect of Ventilation, ADPI, and ACE on Variable Air Volume Flow for an Office Building
Summer temperatures in Kuwait are extremely high, with peak temperatures recorded at more than 50oC. Summer lasts for nearly eight months of the year, which leads to increased use of air conditioning (AC). Approximately 50% of the local consumption of electrical energy is consumed by AC. A number of approaches are in use to study the effect of ventilation and associated aspects on a building with variable air volume flow. This study focuses on the effect of ventilation, ADPI (Air Diffusion Performance Index) and ACE (Air change effectiveness) on variable air volume flow for an office building in Kuwait. Two office buildings with 4 zones in total were selected for this study. ADPI and ACE were measured in the two office buildings. ADPI was estimated to be 100% and 94.4% for the two AHU zones in building 1, whereas for the building 2, the ADPI value was calculated as 100%. In addition, ACE value was 0.5 for both buildings. It was recognized that the position of the diffuser forms an important aspect of air distribution for any HVAC system and the air diffusion performance index (ADPI) is the parameter associated with it as per ASHRAE handbooks and standards. ADPI statistically relates the space conditions of temperature and air speed to building occupants' thermal comfort. Therefore, effective indoor air diffusion is essential to achieve good thermal comfort as well as to minimize energy consumption.
Keywords: Air change effectiveness, Air Diffusion Performance Index, Kuwait, variable air volume, arid environment, office buildings, HVAC.
Speaker Bio
Eng. Ruba Al-Foraih received her BSc. in Civil Engineering from Kuwait University; she attained her Msc in Architecture and Construction Management from the University College of London. She works at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) as Principal Research Associate in the Energy and Building Research Center. She is working in the Energy Efficiency Technologies Department to develop techniques, strategies and solutions to decrease energy consumption in Kuwait. Eng. Al-Foraih has successfully initiated, led and participated in research activities, and career development and has participated in local, regional and international conferences and organizing events. She has published 7 Journals in high-ranking journals and has published 3 books, one of them as a first author. She is a Certified Energy Auditor and a member of the Green Building Council Kuwait.
