Indoor air quality investigation in a ventilated demonstrator building via a smart sensor

Abstract

This study deals with the indoor air quality (IAQ) measured and perceived in a demonstration building via a smart sensor. The analysis subject targeted includes the following main air pollutants, viz., CO₂, VOCs, formaldehyde, benzene, CO, PM_2.5, and comfort parameters such as air temperature, and relative humidity. These were recorded during three campaigns. It turned out that the CO₂ level was higher during the first occupation period, while measurements of other air pollutants were low. Besides, it turned out that the ventilation system could regulate control the airflow based on the CO₂ concentrations only. However, this was upset occupants comfort.

Keywords:

• CO₂-concentration
• indoor air quality
• hygrothermal comfort
• ventilation
• smart sensor

Acknowledgments

This article is based on a paper presented at the 39th AIVC - 7th TightVent & 5th venticool Conference, 2018 “Smart ventilation for buildings” held on 18-19 September 2018 in Antibes Juan-Les-Pins, France. The authors gratefully acknowledge the “Hautes Etudes d’Ingénieur (HEI)” for their financial support to achieve this study. Besides, special acknowledgment is to be given to anonymous referees whose insightful comments helped in improving this paper.

Disclosure statement

The authors do not declare any potential conflict of interest regarding authorship and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Loubna Qabbal

Loubna Qabbal is a currently PhD student at Artois University (France) and at Yncréa Hauts de France – Haute Etude d’Ingénieur (HEI). Her research interests deal with energy efficiency and buildings indoor air quality in smart buildings.

Zohir Younsi

Zohir Younsi is an Associate Professor of Building Physics at Haute Etude d’Ingénieur (HEI), Yncréa Hauts de France, France. His research and teachings focus on numerical simulation of building physics, energy performance and buildings’ indoor climate.

Hassane Naji

Hassane Naji is a full Professor of Civil Engineering at Artois' University, France. He is a PhD degree holder in Physical Sciences from Lille University, France. His research interests and teachings cover fluid-thermal sciences, outdoor/indoor particulate air pollution and computational methods. He is a peer-referee for many leading scientific journals.