Mechanical ventilation systems are frequently applied to commercial buildings, workshops, factories, etc.

, where the air change requirements are defined for health and welfare provision. There are three categories of system:1. Natural inlet and mechanical extract 2. Mechanical inlet and natural extract 3. Mechanical inlet and mechanical extract

The capital cost of installing mechanical systems is greater than natural systems of air movement, but whether using one or more fans, system design provides for more reliable air change and air movement. Some noise will be apparent from the fan and air turbulence in ducting. This can be reduced by fitting sound attenuators and splitters. Internal sanitary accommodation must be provided with a shunt duct to prevent smoke or smells passing between rooms. In public buildings, duplicated fans with automatic changeover are also required in event of failure of the duty fan.

Basement car parks require at least 6 air changes per hour and at exits and ramps where queuing occurs, local ventilation of at least 10 air changes per hour. Duplicate fans should be provided with a fan failure automatic change over.

Fan assisted ventilation systems supplying external air to habitable rooms must have a facility to pre-heat the air. They must also have control over the amount of air extracted, otherwise there will be excessive heat loss. A mechanical inlet and mechanical extract system can be used to regulate and balance supply and emission of air by designing the duct size and fan rating specifically for the situation. Air may be extracted through specially made light fittings. These permit the heat enhanced air to be recirculated back to the heating unit. This not only provides a simple form of energy recovery, but also improves the light output by about 10%. With any form of recirculated air ventilation system, the ratio of fresh to recirculated air should be at least 1:3. i.e. min. 25% fresh, max. 75% recirculated. In large buildings where smoking is not permitted, such as a theatre, a downward air distribution system may be used. This provides a uniform supply of warm filtered air. Ductwork in all systems should be insulated to prevent heat losses from processed air and to prevent surface condensation.

TYPES OF VENTILATION SYSTEMS

1. Natural Inlet And Mechanical Extract

A mechanical extract system will function irrespective of wind and temperature difference and will be positive in action. Since the air to be extracted from the space must be replaced and the means provided for admission of outside air will present some resistance to flow, leakage inward from surrounding spaces is more likely than leakage outward. In consequence, escape of steam, fumes and noxious vapours generated within the ventilated space is less likely than would be the case if reliance were placed upon natural extract alone. A difficulty arises however in providing a satisfactory means of admitting the bulk of the air required to balance the extract volume and of heating it in winter. Fresh air inlets behind ranges of gilled tube or some other form of natural convector as shown below need regular cleaning and have only a limited application.

For summer use only in a small building, infiltration via the type of window ventilator ('trickle' or 'night') referred before may suffice. In some circumstances, replacement air may be drawn from another part of the building to serve a dual purpose; a good example being extract ventilation from a small kitchen which, by drawing air through serving hatches, serves to dilute the spread of cooking smells to the associated canteen. For industrial applications, the natural roof ventilator shown earlier might be replaced by some form of fan-powered extract unit as shown below. Units of this type are made in a variety of patterns with mounting arrangements and weathering covers to suit most types of roof construction, pitched and flat.

2. Mechanical Inlet And Natural Extract

It is typified, for application to an office building, by the arrangement shown in Figure below. As may be seen, an air supply from some central source is ducted through a corridor-ceiling void to individual rooms; the vitiated air escapes there from, through a low-level register, to the corridor proper and thence to outside. It is now unlikely that a fire authority would permit the construction of such a system since it has the potential to endanger the atmosphere of an escape route. A single room, perhaps an office, might have an outside air supply from some form of reversible fan unit as described earlier but this hardly falls within the context of the present heading. The ventilation of boiler houses is a special case as a result of the air consumed in combustion. The volume required may be estimated.

3. Mechanical Inlet And Mechanical Extract

This final combination is that which must be noted as not only having the widest application but also as providing the greatest challenge since the air distribution, in terms of quantity, pressure and temperature, is wholly in the hands of the designer. It may be applied to all manner of spaces and is greatly to be preferred to any of the compromise systems discussed earlier. In application, the ratio between the air-volume duties of the inlet and extract systems must be selected with care in order to suit the particular application.