Diffuse Ceiling Ventilation: Design Guide for Wood Wool Cement Panel

Diffuse ceiling ventilation is an innovative ventilation concept where the suspended ceiling serves as an air diffuser to supply fresh air into the room. Due to the large opening area, air is delivered to the room with very low velocity and no fixed direction, therefore the name ‘diffuse’. Compared with conventional ventilation systems (mixing or displacement ventilation), diffuse ceiling ventilation can significantly reduce or even eliminate draught risk in the occupied zone. Moreover, this ventilation system presents a promising opportunity for energy saving, because of the low pressure loss, extended free-cooling period and night cooling potential. The investment cost of this ventilation system is about 5-10% lower than the conventional ones, because the acoustic ceiling could be directly applied as air diffuser and the use of plenum to distribute air reduces the cost of ductwork. There is a growing interest in applying diffuse ceiling ventilation in offices and other commercial buildings because of the benefits from both thermal comfort and energy efficiency aspects.

The design guide introduces the principle and key characteristics of room air distribution with diffuse ceiling ventilation and the design procedure, which focus on the application of wood wool cement panel.