AIR CHANGE

An air change is how many times the air enters and exits a
room from the HVAC system in one hour. Or, how many times a
room would fill up with the air from the supply registers in
sixty minutes.

BFB 40603 BUILDING SERVICES II 1

VOLUME FLOW RATE

BFB 40603 BUILDING SERVICES II 2

EXERCISES
A ventilation duct is of circular cross section 1.8 m
diameter carries the fumes from a large hall. If the rate
of 2.5 air changes per hour is necessary, determine the
capacity (m3/minute) of the fan required for the duty and
the velocity of the air in the ventilation duct system.
Given that the room size is 13m x 9m x 5m

BFB 40603 BUILDING SERVICES II 3

EXERCISES
a) Volume flow rate (m3/min) = number of air changes per hour x
volume of space /3600
Vf = 2.5 x (13x9x5)
3606
= 0.406 m3/s

B) Velocity in the duct

V = Vf / area of duct

= 0.406
(π/4) x 1.82
= 0.160 m/s

BFB 40603 BUILDING SERVICES II 4

EXERCISES
An office 15x15x5m high is to be ventilated at the rate
of 2.5 air changes per hour. If the air flow at the rate is
limited to 3m/s in the supply duct determines:
(a) the volume flow rate
(b) the dimensions of a square duct for supply air.

BFB 40603 BUILDING SERVICES II 5

EXERCISES
a) Volume flow rate (m3/min) = number of air changes per hour x
volume of space /3600
Vf = 2.5 x (15x15x5)
3606
= 0.781 m3/s

b) Dimension of square duct

V = Vf / area of duct

Area of duct = Vf / V
= 0.781 / 3
= 0.260 m2
Dimension of square duct = X2
X = √0.260
= 0.51m BFB 40603 BUILDING SERVICES II 6