Improving the performance of heat valve ventilation system: A study on the provided thermal environment

The current study presents and evaluates the performance of two types of supply air terminal devices applied in a heat valve ventilation (HVV) system with regard to the provided thermal environment in a room heated and ventilated by the HVV system. To that end, air temperature and air velocity patterns and local thermal discomfort due to draught were studied both experimentally and numerically. Using numerical simulations, parametric analysis was carried out for investigating the provided indoor thermal environment for a wider range of boundary conditions. The considered parameters included the influence of cold vertical surfaces, supply airflow rate and temperature, and room heating energy demand. The results showed that both of the applied air terminal devices could avoid temperature stratification within the occupied zone. The maximum air temperature difference between 0.1 and 1.8 m above the floor was 2.1 °C when using a circular valve placed in the external wall below the window and 2.6 °C in the case when the air was supplied through three nozzles located in the wall opposite to the window in the upper part of the room. In general, placing the air terminal device below the window provided more uniform air temperature distribution and contributed to the prevention of downdraught caused by a cold window surface. The outcomes of this study are relevant to selecting and designing ventilation and air heating systems for low-energy buildings.