Air Change Rates 2

[frankstan]

Does ASHRAE publish a table that shows recommended air change rates (not outside air, but total air) for various spaces and occupancies?

 

[DRWeig]

Hi Frankstan,

No such table that I've ever seen -- but wait for some of the other old-timers to respond. There may be a statistical study somewhere that someone has compiled.

Air changes depend on the load in the space and supply air conditions. It's the designer's job to determine what is needed.

Good on ya,

Goober Dave

 

[RJR76]

While I have never seen an ASHRAE recommendation on this, the Wisconsin building code, at one time, required 6 air changes per hour for a space that was not provided with mechanical cooling. It's a rule of thumb that I've kept in mind for getting a rough idea of air flow requirements, but that won't take you very far with code compliance or occupant comfort.

 

[JBGCAT]

How many cubic feet per minute (CFM) of outdoor air do you need in order to keep the interior air fresh?

ASHRAE 62.2 method: CFM = (0.01 x floor area ft2) + [7.5 x (# of bedrooms +1)]
This protocol uses the ANSI Z765 floor area calc method (exterior dimensions), not treated floor area (TFA, interior dimensions) used by PHPP. The method assumes the building is leaky and some of the necessary outdoor air is supplied by leaks. The infiltration credit is 0.02 CFM/ft2. Designing for an airtight (passivehouse) building, you would need to add an additional 0.02 CFM/ft2 to the required total to be supplied by mechanical ventilation.

BPI method (paraphrasing from Stefan:

http://www.passivehouseca.org/hydronic-heating-through-hrv-supply-air#co...)

3300sqft*8ft*0.35ACH/60 = 154cfm

DIN 1946 Part 6 method (this is the Euro/German method embedded in PHPP). Essentially 18 CFM per person. Example: 6 people x 18 CFM = 108 CFM continuous. But the prescriptive exhaust air volume can trump this prescriptive supply volume, if there are many kitchens and baths. DIN 1946-6 also has a great method for assigning fractions of the total outdoor air volume to each room. ASHRAE has methods for this, but they are written for non-residential occupancies. DIN 1946-6 is written specifically for residential ventilation.

 

[mauricestoker]

You may want to check out the ASHRAE HVAC Applications manual.

 

[cdxx139]

Our sanitary code requires a minimum of 5 air changes per hour for lavatories and lockers.

knowledge is power

 

[KiwiMace]

You only get published air change rates for unconditioned spaces.

 

[mauricestoker]

If you look at HVAC Applications, Chapter 3, Table 1, you'll find multiple occupancies, categories, design temperature and humidity, air movement, ACH, NC, load profile and comments. What exactly are you looking for? The basis for the ventilation rate is fairly clear in ASHRAE 62.1.

 

[earniem]

ASHRAE Pocket Guide for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Ventilation and Refrigeration, 7th edition (I-P)
2009

This little handbook available from ASHRAE may include airflow rates for different occupancies.