Proceedings: Indoor Air 2005

FANROOMLESS VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR AN UNDERGROUND PARKING

LOT

∗
Eon Ku Rhee1, Seong Hwan Yi2,

1Ph.D. Professor of Architecture, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea

2 Ph.D. Candidate of Architecture, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea

ABSTRACT
Underground parking lot emits CO, with its known risks. In order to dilute CO to acceptable level, the ventilation
system of underground parking lots can be designed as duct system, ductless system, or combined. Regardless of
which system design is chosen, the mechanical rooms should be considered in planning the system. If larger fans
are installed to meet code requirements, initial construction costs for the mechanical room will be increased in a
traditional system accordingly. On the other hand, the FANROOMLESS ventilation system can meet the code
requirements without supply fan room. Furthermore, the outside air is supplied to the premises at high speed by air
jet in the required direction. The air jet provides the air supply with impulse that causes the supply outside air to be
carried onwards with low noise and low energy consumption. On top of this, FANROOMLESS system can save an
extra parking space of 27.9 m2 per flat in case of an area 9,000 m2 compared to a traditional ductless system.

Additionally, this paper suggests a flat exhaust rate (m3/h) per square meter depending on the types of facility
based on actual calculations over 10 years through various types of building using correlation equations and
experience.

INTRODUCTION
Underground parking lots can be either fully enclosed or partially open. Fully enclosed parking areas are usually
underground and require mechanical ventilation. Current mechanical ventilation systems usually consist of a
supply fan, a series of secondary fans such as ductless fan and an exhaust fan. Since 1996, the dectless fan system
came to the maket. However, this ductless system still needs space for installation of the supply and exhaust fans in
a mechanical room. Also, these fans are usually very noisy, in addition to high initial costs and electric energy
consumption. In order to reduce the initial construction costs and save energy, this study proposes a new concept,
the so called FANROOMLESS for underground parking lot’s ventilation system. This FANROOMLESS system
has several unique characteristics. First, this system can reduce initial construction cost and utilize the spaces more
effectively by optimization of the ventilation facilities. Second, fan noise during operations can be reduced to
under 65dB(A). This study also presented the required exhaust rate (m3/h·m2) to maintain acceptable CO level of
25ppm in accordance with the code. The data can help to calculate the required exhaust rate.

VENTILATION RATE REQUIREMENTS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACILITIY

For many years, CO concentration of outside air was 10ppm as a design criterion. Based on this, the required flat
exhaust air flow rate was 9.7 m3/hr m2 as a mean value since 1992. Because vehicle emissions have been reduced
over the years, the maximum outdoor CO concentration has also been reduced to 3ppm, according to the Central
Meteorological Office data from 1992 to 1999 in Korea. Thus, the required exhaust rate could be reduced to 7
m3/hr m2. Table 2 shows the required exhaust rate per square meter in each type of facility. Mainly four factors as
well as a heaped data gathered through more than 10 years were considered:

• Acceptable CO limit is 25 ppm

• Number of cars in operation during peak conditions

• Length of travel and the operating time for cars in the garage

∗
Corresponding author email: veta@ventopia.com

3265
 Proceedings: Indoor Air 2005

• Emission rate of a typical car under various conditions

Table 1 Threshold CO limit for an underground parking lot

Country Limit Country Limit
U.S.A. 35 ppm Germany 25 ppm
Japan 35 ppm Korea 25 ppm (for an 8 h exposure)

Table 2 Required exhaust rates for different types of facility

Number of Emission Exhaust Required exhaust rate per m2
Type of
Frequency and out rate of CO rate Coefficient (m3 /hr )
facility
cars/hr (g/hr) (m3/hr) Application Calculation
Apartment 2.1 33 1,391.5 31,165 1.2 7.0 7.0
Complex 4.43 71 2,981.6 66,777 2.14 15.0 15.0
Hospital 6.4 99 4,153.5 93,024 2.99 21.0 21.0
Public 7.1 110 4,613.54 103,327 3.32 23.2 23.0
Office 3.6 56 2,353.94 52,720 1.69 11.8 12.0
Accommodation 5.5 85 3,567.4 79,897 2.56 17.9 18.0
Commercial 5.9 92 3,860.34 86,458 2.77 19.4 20.0
Theater 4.2 65 2,730.5 61,154 1.96 13.7 14.0
Wedding shop 3.1 48 2,019.2 45,223 1.45 10.2 10.0
Culture 3.8 59 2,479.5 55,532 1.78 12.5 13.0
Terminal 7.3 113 4,739.1 106,139 3.41 23.9 24.0

THEORY OF FANROOMLESS VENTILATION SYSTEM

The ductless system is composed of supply fan, ductless fan and exhaust fan as Fig. 1 of an underground parking
lot. However, space is required to house the supply and exhaust fans. This would elevate the initial construction
costs because a mechanical room is required. Even so, the space could not be used efficiently in the mechanical
room. Because of voluminous fan, heavy duty power consumption for a fan operation, maintenance and repair
expenses are high and indoor sound condition is usually poor.

In a FANROOMLESS system, there is no fan room as Fig. 2. FANROOMLESS system is a system using only air
duct shafts for supply. The outside air is supplied to the premises at high speed by air jet in the required direction.
The air jet provides the supply air with the impulse that induces outside air onwards. And, polluted air insides is
diluted and discharged through exhaust shaft under the way of traditional ventilation methods. Due to installation
of a series of small nozzles and a supply fan without fan room, initial construction cost goes down. Because
ventilation equipment in and underground parking lot is optimized, so underground spaces are better ventilated.

To summarize, FANROOMLESS ventilation system is composed of a series of nozzles and a fan with duct for
supply, ductless fan for circulating the inside air and exhaust fan to be installed in a mechanical room as shown in
Fig.2.

3266
 Proceedings: Indoor Air 2005

Supply fan Ductless fan Exhaust fan Ductless fan Exhaust fan

S A E A S A E A

Supply fan Exhaust fan Exhaust fan

S A E A S A E A

Supply fan Exhaust fan Exhaust fan

S A E A S A E A

Supply fan room Exhaust fan room Nozzle for Supply Exhaust fan room

Figure 1. DUCTLESS System Figure 2. FANROOMLESS System

CHARACTERISTIC OF FREE JET AND CONFINED JET ACCORDING TO CFD

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) program (PHOENICS 3.1) was used to analyze the characteristics of
nozzles. Input data and boundary condition, as used by CFD, are given in Tables 3 and 4.

Table 3 Input data by CFD

Variable Input data
Domain X=70 Y=40 Z=12.2
Menu VR mode
Grid 120×70×28
Main Fluid Air
Solution variables Pressure, Temperature, Velocity
Relax control Pressure : P1=-1, Temperature : T=100, Velocity : u, v1, w1=1
Turbulent intensity 5%
Model k-ε Model

Table 4 Boundary conditions

Boundary Input data(Free jet) Input data(Confined jet)
Diameter φ76(mm), Diameter φ76(mm),
Velocity of 1st jet Air temperature T=18℃ Air temperature T=18℃
Velocity u1=0, v1=30m/s, w1=0 Velocity u1=0, v1=30m/s, w1=0
Dimension 2.0m×1.0m
Inducing condition at
None Velocity u1, v1, w1=0m/s
louver
1 unit in shaft
Dimension 0.55m×0.55m Dimension 0.55m×0.55m
FAN
Surface temperature T=18℃ Surface temperature T=18℃
(Outlet)
Velocity u1=0, v1=0.46m/s, w1=0 Velocity u1=0, v1=0.46m/s, w1=0
Exhaust vent Dimension 45m×3m Dimension 45m×3m
(Outlet) Velocity u1, v1, w1=0m/s Velocity u1, v1, w1=0m/s
Characteristic of air jet nozzle
Figs. 3 and 4 show air jet profiles at 1m apart from nozzle as in free and confined space respectively. Compared to
free jet under the same conditions, confined jet induced air flow 93% at 1.0m, 96% at 1.5m, 91% at 2.0m, and 88%
at 2.5m.

3267
 Proceedings: Indoor Air 2005

Figure 3. Free jet Figure 4. Confined jet Figure 5. Simulation object

Characteristic of various jet nozzles in confined space
To analyze characteristics of various jet nozzle, a building that is 70m (Width) × 40m (length) × 30m (Height) as
Fig. 5 is selected. Table 5 gives the calculated shaft size and air velocity according to shape of nozzle as Fig. 6.

CN-400-1 CN-400-2 CN-600-1 CN-600-2 CN-900 CN-1200

Figure 6. Shape of Nozzle

Table 5 Calculated shaft size and air velocity

Nozzle Supply air shaft Air velocity in air shaft
CN 400 3.4m × 2.0m × 12m 2.9m/s
CN 600 3.4m × 2.0m × 12m 4.1m/s
CN 900 4.4m × 2.0m × 12m 4.5m/s
CN 1200 6.2m × 2.0m × 12m 4.3m/s
As a result of CFD, characteristics of each shape of nozzle in confined space are as follows:

First, inducing effects in a horizontal combination type is better than vertical type. For instance, CN-400-1,
horizontal combination type, induces air of 36,578m3/h and CN-400-2, vertical combination type, induces air of
24,705m3/h at 2.0m of distance between nozzles. CN-600-1 induces air of 9,135m3/h more than CN-600-2 at
1.5m of distance between nozzles.

Second, preferable distance between nozzles is 1m rather than 1.5m even though inducing effect is the best at
1.5m distance. In cases CN 900 and CN 1200, induced air flow at 1.5m of distance between nozzles is the
maximum. Especially, CN 1200 has induced air flow of 109,746m3/h at 1.5m and results maximum inducing
effect (1,655%). However, at 1.5m, due to the limit of height of underground parking lot, 2nd nozzle can not be
installed within a given height. Therefore, within existing underground parking lot’s height, 1.0m of distance
between nozzles is used.

Third, in this system, available maximum air velocity in a supply air shaft should not exceed 4.5m/s to avoid the
interference occurred at nozzles in each floor. In case of CN 1200, induced air at 1m is 63,748m3/h at one floor.
Adding the above three together, the expected supply air for this CN 1200 would be 191.244m3/h if no any
interference in the supply. Using CFD, the effects of this interference is considered. As a result, induced outside
air into the premise is 191.160m3/h at an average air velocity 2.95m/s in the shaft (6.2m×2.0m). From this,
induced supply air into the premise is nearly the same as the supplied outside air. It proves that supplied fresh air
carried on is not interrupted by interferences occurred in a shaft. Table 6 shows the result that no interference
between floors is considered during outdoor air is induced. Each floor’s supply air is almost the same and a
difference is 200~500m3/h only. Furthermore, by increasing the air velocity up to 4.5m/s in designed air shaft,
there is no change of supply air flow caused by interference.

3268
 Proceedings: Indoor Air 2005

Finally, based on the above, minimum area to be required is given in Table 7 and these would be basic design
data for underground parking lots’ ventilation system.

Table 6 Air velocity profile at each floor by CN 1200

Axis CN 1200

Z axis
(radius of jet)

Y axis
(range of jet)
Table 7 Minimum required area at various type of Nozzles
Type CN 400 CN 600 CN 900 CN 1200

Supply air
flow
23,348m3/h 33,448 m3/h 47,818 m3/h 63,748 m3/h

Minimum
required area

The study on the economic evaluation of fanroomless ventilation system

Table 8 Calculations of the initial costs and energy costs
2
Area : 9,000m
FANROOMLESS System DUCTLESS System
ⓐ Initial costs ⓐ Initial costs
Static pressure fan 11kW ＄ 2,500 SupplyfanSS#7x3.7kWx6SET ＄ 7,500
Spiral duct and nozzle ＄ 4,350 Duct ＄ 3,000
Exhaust fan SS#7 x 3.7kW x 6SET ＄ 7,500 Exhaust fan SS#7 x 3.7kW x 6SET ＄ 7,500
Initial Ductless fan 30CMM x 60SET ＄36,300 Ductless fan 30CMM x 60SET ＄36,300
Costs ⓑ Installation costs ＄ 4,200 ⓑ Installation costs ＄ 4,800
ⓒElectricity construction cost ＄10,500 ⓒ Electricity construction cost ＄15,000
ⓓ Saving cost ＄−6,000

SUB TOTAL ＄ 59,350 (80%) SUB TOTAL ＄ 74,100 (100%)

Energy 45.2kW x ＄0.045/kWh x 8HRx 30Days 56.4kW x ＄0.045/kWh x 8HRx 30Days

Costs per x 12Months x 12Months
year = ＄ 5,858 (62.9%) = ＄ 9,309 (100%)

FANROOMLESS system and existing ductless system is compared briefly in the following conditions as initial
and energy cost per year. For comparison, the underground parking lot space is limited to 9,000m2 (Table 8).

3269
 Proceedings: Indoor Air 2005

By this comparison, when total floor area is 9,000 m2 or more, the FANROOMLESS system cuts 20% of energy
cost and 37.1% of initial cost against the existing ductless system. Table 9 shows a comparison of the required area
for the mechanical rooms. The FANROOMLESS system requires only 38% of space required for the ductless
system. So, FANROOMLESS system can save extra space. And Table 9 shows that 55.85 m2 or 5 carspaces is
saved as a consequence.

Table 9 Required total area of FANROOMLESS and DUCTLESS System (Area: 9,000m2)
FANROOMLESS Ventilation System Ductless Ventilation System
Requirement Supply 3.8m × 1.5m = 5.7m 2
Supply 5.0m × 1.0m = 5.0m2
area
Exhaust 3.8m × 1.5m = 5.7m2 Exhaust 5.0m × 1.0m = 5.0m2
for shaft
Installation area Supply － Supply 5.0m × 3.5m = 17.5m2
of fans Exhaust 3.8m × 1.5m = 5.7m2 Exhaust 5.0m × 3.5m = 17.5m2
Total
17.1m2/place × 2places 45.0m2/place × 2places
requirement
= 34.2m2(38%) = 90.0m2(100%)
area
Increased parking area: 90.0m2 － 34.2m2 = 55.8m2
Increased parking capacity : 55.8m2 ÷ (5m×2.3m)/1car ≈ 5 cars

CONCLUSIONS
As previously examined, FANROOMLESS system has characteristics as the following.

1) Under the same conditions, confined air jets induce 88%~93% of outdoor air into the premise compared to free
air jets.

2) At a distance 1.5M from jet, inducing effect in confined space is good enough. However, due to restriction in
height, the distance 1.0m apart from jet is selected as a design criterion.

3) At a distance 1.0M from jet as well as under the air velocity 4.5m/s in a shaft, interference phenomenon between
floors and between nozzles did not occurred.

4) FANROOMLESS system cuts 37.1% of energy cost per year and 20% of initial cost against existing system.

5) Because FANROOMLESS system does not need supply fan room, in case of the underground parking lot’s area
is 9,000m2, it can save extra parking space of 55.8m2 per flat.

REFERENCES
Yi SH, 1990, “A Case Study on the Ventilation System of Underground parking Structures”, Korean Journal of
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 99-113.

Yi, SH, 1998, “Ductless Ventilation System for an Underground Car Parking Lots”, Korean Journal of
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 273-283.

3270