58 OCCUPANT COMFORT AND HEALTH

tions, bed depth requirements, and maintenance procedures should be thoughtfully evaluated in light of the need for such a system. Air washers (see Section 5.2.3) are also effective in reducing SO2 and other acid-forming gases. But such scrubbers need continuous maintenance to keep the recirculated water from becoming highly corrosive and the reservoir a breeding ground for biological contaminants. Rare-book rooms and valuable artifact display or storage areas in museums and archival depositories are candidates for gas removal provisions, but the operations and maintenance staff should understand that careful maintenance is required for effective performance. Notwithstanding such gas removal provisions, the ventilation rate in these types of spaces should be maintained at no less than 15 cfm [7.1 L/s] per person (except as otherwise permitted by Standard 62.1) to limit the carbon dioxide concentration. 3.4 ROOM AIR DISTRIBUTION 3.4.1 Predicting Thermal Comfort Standard 55 is based upon the presumption (explicitly stated in early versions of the standard) that there is no minimum air movement that is necessary for thermal comfort, although this is contrary to the experience of many building operators (see Section 3.4.2). The standard further prescribes a maximum rate of air movement (air speed) of 30 fpm [0.15 m/s] for winter and 50 fpm [0.25 m/s] for summer. Those values essentially agree with the data found in the Space Air Diffusion chapter in the ASHRAE HandbookFundamentals. That chapter of the Handbook describes different methods of room air distribution. It also presents a space air distribution performance index (ADPI), which permits prediction of the comfort potential that can be achieved with a given supply air distribution design. The higher the index, the more uniform the conditions of comfort as determined by temperature variation from a control value and air velocities at various locations in the occupied zone. Using the guidance of that chapter, a designer can develop air distribution layouts that are likely to maintain a high probability of thermal comfort. Note that the ADPI concept is based upon research using a space (or control) temperature of 76F [24.4C]. Therefore, ADPI predictions apply only if the average space temperature is close to that value. For instance, if a room is maintained at 68F

AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM DESIGN MANUAL59

[20.0C], it is likely to be considered uncomfortably cool even though the ADPI is quite high. 3.4.2 Minimum Air Motion Low air velocity affects the ability of a conventional HVAC system to maintain uniformity of temperature throughout the occupied zone and to dilute contaminants generated within that zone. Occupant comfort has been reported to suffer as a consequence of low total supply airflow in a space, even when the space temperature is well inside the comfort envelope. Because of this, many designers have adopted a minimum total supply airflow benchmark of 0.6 to 0.8 cfm/ft2 [3 to 4 L/s per m2] for office applications. These values are based upon an all-air system with conventional supply outlets. They can be reduced when outlets with high induction ratios are employed, since these outlets increase the average room air motion. Minimum room air circulation is particularly important in the case of VAV systems when the conditioned air supply may be greatly reduced in response to reductions in the sensible cooling load. VAV systems should generally maintain a minimum supply of 0.35 cfm/ft2 [1.78 L/s m2] in occupied spaces, even when space cooling loads are low. Fan-powered terminals can be used to maintain higher circulation rates during times when space cooling loads allow minimal conditioned air delivery. Fan-powered terminals can be used to maintain a minimum circulation rate. When using outlets with horizontal discharge patterns, consider the following points: 1. An outlet with a relatively low throw coefficient will produce a smaller absolute change in throw values with variation in volume and, thus, tend to minimize changes in air motion within an occupied space due to changes in air supply. 2. Choose outlets for relatively small quantities of air. This will make absolute values of throw vary least with variations in outlet flow rate. If the application requires modular outlet arrangements for occupancy flexibility, the number of outlets does not need to be increased. 3. All outlets have a tolerance in throw and pressure drop that permits their use without concern for small volume reductions. Not all diffuser types, however, have desirable characteristics for large volume reductions. To obtain maximum leeway for airflow reduction, select diffusers for full volume at full capacity and maximum permissible outlet velocity.

60 OCCUPANT COMFORT AND HEALTH

In cold-air systems, air is supplied at low temperatures, e.g., less than 50F [10C], to reduce both capital and operating costs compared to systems using conventional supply air temperatures (see Section 9.3.8). Here again, special care in selecting supply air terminals is necessary to ensure adequate air circulation and avoid occupant exposure to cold airstreams. Another cause of occupant complaints, not always coincident with uncomfortable space temperature, is shoulder-high partitioning. In such layouts, occupants may spend long periods sitting inside a box that is fully enclosed except at the top. The ventilation effectiveness of an otherwise excellent space air distribution system can be defeated by such partitioning. A solution that will yield adequate air motion in the occupied zone (the box) to some extent rests with the design of the partitioning system. Nonetheless, prime responsibility for the environmental conditions within such cubicles rests with the HVAC designer. Maintaining a good rate of air circulation within the overall space will be a partially mitigating factor. Air distribution in some specific occupancies, such as theaters, hospital operating rooms, laboratories with exhaust hoods, and cleanrooms, requires special analyses of both the air supply and the return or exhaust distribution systems. Air-and-water systems inherently supply less air to the occupied space than all-air systems. General air circulation is enhanced by the terminal unit if it is a fan-coil (or induction) unit. Radiant panel systems do not substantially contribute to air circulation. 3.4.3 Jet Stream Air Distribution Some all-air systems incorporate air jets that sweep over the occupants workstation. Flow and direction are manually adjustable to provide individual control. This refined form of spot cooling has the advantages of reduced cooling load and reduced total airflow. This application, however, is not common in buildings in North America. 3.4.4 Return Air Except in unusual circumstances, return air finds its way back to the air-handling unit. As a rule, the provisions made for return air do not materially influence occupant comfort. An exception is the placement of return air grilles too close to supply air terminals, which may short-circuit space air distribution. Conversely, locating a return air inlet over concentrated heat sources (such as high-wattage equipment) can help prevent heat buildup around such sources.