Energy savings of a hybrid reversible ventilation system in a basement parking structure

• Main Authors: Kong, Kok-Haw, Chong, Wen Tong, Koh, Voon Li
• Format: Article
• Published: Chinese Soc Mechanical Engineers 2020
• Subjects: TH Building construction
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/36923/

Urbanization stimulates many large developments. Utilizing the underground space for vehicle storage has become the de facto practice to overcome the high cost of super-high-rise buildings. Underground space requires an efficient mechanical ventilation system for its day-to-day operation as well as in the case of a fire emergency. These two ventilation requirements are often combined into one hybrid ventilation system. The conventional ventilation system in a basement parking structure involves the installation of a full extension of ductwork to prevent pockets of stale air. This paper introduces a semi-ducted reversible ventilation system. In this reversible concept, fans in the fire zone operate as exhaust. whereas fans at the opposing zone operate as supply. The performance of both ventilation systems was investigated in a rectangular basement parking structure. Results based on CFD simulations showed that the semi-ducted ventilation system outperformed the conventional ventilation system in the event of fire emergency. Site measurement showed that the CO level was kept at below 10 parts-per-million in the normal operating mode. The amount of ductwork in the semi-ducted system reduced by approximately 60%, and the fan static pressure reduced by 33%. Hence, an overall energy savings of 45.6% was achieved.