Ventilation of buildings strongly affects indoor air quality, the thermal comfort of occupants, and building energy use. Computational studies have examined trade-offs among various ventilation systems in office spaces and in large indoor spaces such as atria and auditoria. Field studies have quantified the substantial energy savings due to more effective control of air-circulation fans. Study of indoor air quality in apartments has shown that carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are heavily influenced by living patterns such as cooking and occupant behavior. Computational fluid dynamics can be used to study air flow in buildings.
Displacement ventilation involves admitting cold air slowly at floor level.
The air moves slowly upward, and buoyant plumes of hot pollutants rise to the ceiling levels. In the computational results shown for displacement ventilation there is a strong temperature change with height. Design of safe, energy-efficient buildings requires an advanced level of understanding of the performance of building design. Researchers have developed computational fluid dynamic codes that can predict circulation patterns and contamination levels in a variety of building spaces such as offices, atria, and large factories. Investigators are also developing new graphic tools to visualize lighting in buildings and are modeling the weathering of external building materials.