UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — An engineering professor at the Pennsylvania State University may have found a remedy for sick buildings. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the professor has developed a system that allows a constant flow of fresh outdoor air through a ventilation component that is separate from the temperature control ducts.

The conceptual design by Stanley Mumma does not circulate indoor air through the temperature control exhaust system in the manner of typical variable air volume (VAV) systems; it provides a steady stream of outdoor air that has been cooled to remove humidity. The engineered system brings the outdoor air into the building via dedicated ducts at a lower speed than in VAV systems, which ASME International says allows for a balance in the relative pressures between rooms and no infiltration of air from one space to another.

The organization also reports that the radiant cooling system uses a building’s overhead sprinkler plumbing to deliver cool water to aid in temperature control. The Dedicated Outdoor Air System has been installed on an experimental basis in a 3,200-square-foot building on the Pennsylvania State University campus in University Park.

Publication date: 05/12/2003