Open Access

Eva Mesenhöller, Peter Vennemann, Jeanette Hussong

• The effects of different unsteady ventilation strategies on flow-structures in a room are investigated and compared to steady ventilation with the same mean exchange rate. For this, whole-field optical flow measurements were executed by means of a particle image velocimetry system (PIV) in a Reynolds-scaled room model in water. In a first series of experiments, sinusoidal varied supply flows with different frequencies were analysed; two equally supplied simple nozzles in the ceiling were used as inlets. The setup was validated by comparing jet velocities with literature values. Typically, room airflows are investigated with punctual measurement techniques (e.g. anemometers), which have an impact on the flow field, or with smoke gas experiments. By using PIV, the flow can be analysed without any influence of sensors or stands/traverses and whole-field measurement data with high spatial resolution and detailed information on the flow field can be collected. Local and time-averaged velocities and standard deviations were calculated for all scenarios. Unsteady conditions were created by a sinusoidal variation of the supply flow rate with frequencies between 0.025 1/s and 0.050 1/s, an offset of about 1.1 m3/h and an amplitude of about ±1.0 m3/h, which leads to a mean exchange rate of 3.5 1/h. Although averaged velocity fields only show slight differences between steady and unsteady conditions, single pictures vary widely. First effects of unsteady ventilation on flow structures can be recognized. Steady structures are destroyed, and velocities change rapidly. The inlets will be changed to small-scale ceiling-diffusors in future experiments to create more realistic room ventilation conditions. Other types of unsteady supply flows will be implemented, and parameters will be varied. The results of the PIV-measurements can be used to validate CFD simulations and to derive dimensioning rules and application recommendations.