LoopDA: Natural Ventilation Design and Analysis Software.
LoopDA: Natural Ventilation Design and Analysis
Software.
(715 K)
Dols, W. S.; Emmerich, S. J.
NISTIR 6967; 36 p. April 2003.
Sponsor:
Department of Energy, Washington, DC
Available from:
Orders Only) 800-553-6847;
Website: http://www.ntis.gov
Order number: PB2003-104235
Keywords:
ventilation; computer programs; airflow analysis; design
tool; indoor air quality; multizone analysis; natural
ventilation
Abstract:
The Loop Equation Design Method has been proposed for
sizing ventilation airflow components of natural and
hybrid ventilation systems. While the approach has been
demonstrated on a limited basis, the method has been
automated in order to better evaluate its reliability
under a more controlled, i.e., less error-prone,
environment. This report describes a computer program
developed by NIST that implements the Loop Equation
Design Method for sizing the openings of naturally
ventilated buildings. The tool, referred to as LoopDA
for Loop Design and Analysis, is integrated with an
existing multi-zone analysis tool CONTAMW. LoopDA
provides the designer of natural ventilation systems
with an environment in which to perform and document the
process of designing the opening sizes of natural
ventilation systems and analyzing the system behavior
under a variety of operating conditions. This report
describes the first version of the LoopDA program,
provides an example of its application to the design of
a naturally ventilated building and describes needs for
future enhancements to the tool to increase its
usefulness within the design community.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899