Air Movement and

Natural Ventilation

Factors influencing

Ventialtion
VENTILATION is the process by which fresh

air is introduced and used air is removed from

an occupied space.
The primary aim of ventilation is to preserve
the qualities of air.
Sometimes, ventilation may also be used to
lower the temperature inside an occupied
area.

Types of ventialtion
Natural ventilation
Mechanical ventilation

Natural ventilation
Natural ventilation is the process of supplying

and removing air by means of purposeprovided aperture (such as openable

windows, ventilators and shafts) and the
natural forces of wind and temperaturedifference pressures.

types of natural ventilation

Natural ventilation may be divided into two
categories
Controlled natural ventilation
is intentional displacement of air through specified
openings such as windows, doors, and ventilations
by using natural forces (usually by pressures from
wind and/or indoor-outdoor temperature differences).
It is usually controlled to some extent by the
occupant.

types of natural ventilation

Infiltration

is the uncontrolled random flow of air through

unintentional openings driven by wind, temperaturedifference pressures and/or appliance-induced
pressures across the building envelope.
In contrast to controlled natural ventilation, infiltration
cannot be so controlled and is less desirable than
other ventilation strategies, but it is a main source of
ventilation in envelope-dominated buildings.

Mechanical ventilation
Mechanical or forced ventilation is the
process of supplying and removing air by
means of mechanical devices, such as fans.
It may be arranged to provide either supply,
extract or balanced ventilation for an
occupied space.

Purposes of ventilation
provide sufficient supply of air/oxygen for the physiological

needs of human beings (a minimum of 0.2 l/s/person is required

for breathing purpose) and/or livestock;
provide sufficient supply of air/oxygen for industrial, agricultural
and other processes (for example, provision of oxygen for
burning and combustion processes);
remove the products of respiration and bodily odour (including
those from smoking) of human and/or animal occupants;
remove contaminants or harmful chemicals generated by
processes or from building materials;
remove heat generated by people, lighting and equipment inside
the occupied space;
create some degree of air movement which is essential for
feelings of freshness and comfort (usually a velocity of 0.1 to 0.3
m/s is required).

Principles of Natural Ventilation

For air to move into and out of a building, a pressure
difference between the inside and outside of the
building is required.
The pressure difference is caused by:
wind (or wind effect);
difference in air density due to temperature difference
between indoor and outdoor air (stack or chimney
effect); or
combination of both wind and stack effects.

Air movement

around buildings

Wind effect
When air flow is due to

wind, air enters through

openings in the
windward walls, and
leaves through
openings in the leeward
walls

Wind flow
Wind pressures are generally high/positive on the
windward side of a building and low/negative on the
leeward side.
The occurrence and change of wind pressures on
building surfaces depend on:
1. wind speed and wind direction relative to the
building;
2. the location and surrounding environment of the
building; and
3. shape of the building.

Wind induced pressure differences

Positive pressure is created on

the building sides that face the

wind (windward sides) whereas
suction regions are formed on
the opposite sides (leeward
sides) and on the side walls.
This results in negative pressure
inside the building, which is
sufficient to introduce large
flows through the building
openings.
In a general case, n airflow of
air is induced on the windward
side and an outflow on the
leeward side. Airflow through an
external opening is mainly
attributed to a wind induced
pressure difference across it.

Landscape and wind flow

Stack effect
When air movement is due

to temperature difference
between the indoor and
outdoor, the flow of air is in
the vertical direction and is
along the path of least
resistance.
The temperature difference
causes density differentials,
and therefore pressure
differences, that drive the air
to move.

How stack effect occurs

indoor temperature is higher

than outdoor temperature;

the warmer air in building then
rises up;
the upward air movement
produces negative indoor
pressure at the bottom;
positive indoor pressure is
created on the top;
warmer air flows out of the
building near the top; and
the air is replaced by colder
outside air that enters the
building near its base.

Factors influencing

Air movement through buildings

Factors influencing air movement

through buildings
ORIENTAION
SIZE OF OPENINGS
POSITION OF OPENINGS
CROSS VENTIALTION
CONTROL OF OPENINGS

Orientation of openings

Cross ventilation
Cross-ventilation
Cross-ventilation utilises

differential wind pressure.

When the air outside is
cooler, windows on opposite
sides of the home can be
opened.
Cool air enters on the
windward side and passes
out on the other side,
replacing warm inside air
with cool outside air.

Size of openings
Inlet & Outlet Areas
In both cross and stack

ventilation, the amount of heat

removed from a building is
directly proportional to the inlet
and outlet areas.
The larger the inlet and outlet
areas, the more air can travel
through the building and the
more heat can be removed.

Increasing the inlet

and outlet area

increases ventilation.

Control of openings

Control of openings

Air movement through buildings

Effect of window width on wind speed

Inner obstructions

Internal obstructions
Air must be free to

move from inlet to

outlet. The two are not
very useful if there is a
wall between them. In
addition, the cross
sectional area of the
paths from inlet to outlet
should be at least the
area of the smaller of
the inlet and outlet.

A clear path between

inlet and outlet must

be maintained.

Design strategies for air movement

The following guidelines are important for planning and

designing natural ventilation systems in buildings:

a natural ventilation system should be effective regardless of
wind direction and there must be adequate ventilation even
when the wind does not blow from the prevailing direction;
inlet and outlet openings should not be obstructed by nearby
objects;
windows should be located in opposing pressure zones since
this usually will increase ventilation rate;
a certain vertical distance should be kept between openings for
temperature to produce stack effect;
openings at the same level and near the ceiling should be
avoided since much of the air flow may bypass the occupied
zone;

 architectural elements like wingwalls, parapets and overhangs

may be used to promote air flow into the building;

topography, landscaping, and surrounding buildings should be
used to redirect airflow and give maximum exposure to
breezes;
in hot, humid climates, air velocities should be maximised in the
occupied zones for bodily cooling;
to admit wind air flow, the long faade of the building and the
door and window openings should be oriented with respect to
the prevailing wind direction;

 if possible, window openings should be

accessible to and operable by occupants;

vertical shafts and open staircases may be
used to increase and generate stack effect;
openings in the vicinity of the neutral
pressure level may be reduced since they are
less effective for thermally induced
ventilation;
if inlet and outlet openings are of nearly equal
areas, a balanced and greater ventilation can
be obtained.