Development of a novel temperature-based demand controlled ventilation system for residential buildings

Together with the rapid development of residential buildings, it is desired to provide satisfactory indoor climate for the occupants. Ventilation is a key factor in maintaining satisfactory conditions indoors, in terms of air quality and thermal comfort, taking into account occupants’ health and comfort. The aim of the study is to evaluate the performance of a novel, temperature-based demand controlled ventilation system. The novelty of the system is its capability to adjust the supply air temperature on a room level. Thereby, the system is able to provide flexible control of indoor climate independently in each room. The room level control of the supply air temperature also provides a possibility for a successful operation of air heating systems. A full-scale prototype of the system was built in a laboratory environment and examined in terms of regulation of the supply air temperature and mechanical operation. This paper introduces the idea of combining ventilation and heating systems and presents the most relevant results from the mechanical operation test.