Improved inhaled air quality at reduced ventilation rate by control of airflow interaction at the breathing zone with lobed jets

Inhaled air quality at a reduced supply of clean air was studied by controlling the airflow interaction at the breathing zone of a person using lobed jets as part of personalized ventilation (PV). Experiments were performed in a full-scale test room at 23°C (73.4°F) with a breathing thermal manikin seated at a workstation, with realistic free-convection flow around the body and a normal breathing cycle. The air in the room was mixed with tracer gas R134a. Clean air was supplied isothermally from three nozzles with circular, four-leafed clover, and six-edged star openings of 0.025 m (0.08 ft) equivalent diameter. The nozzles were positioned frontally at the face within the boundary layer and centered to the mouth. The enhancement of inhaled air quality by changing the initial velocity (0.2-0.6 m/s, 0.66-1.97 fps) and the distance from the mouth (0.02-0.06 m, 0.07-0.20 ft) was studied. The control over the interaction between the inserted jets and the free convection flow was efficient. Over 80% clean PV air was measured in inhalation. The worst performing nozzle was the four-leafed clover: its best performance yielded 23% clean air inhalation, at the shortest distance and the highest velocity. The other lobed nozzle, the six-edged star, performed similarly to the circular nozzle. © 2014 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.