ABSTRACT

Flow visualization in indoor environments is generally connected with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) work. Other applications include airborne contamination control and fire safety studies. Indoor environments involve some special difficulties in flow visualization. For example, the array of different ventilation schemes in buildings and residences is quite diverse and difficult to classify. While a few examples using heavy gases or exotic liquids can be found, water models have been quite popular for the study of indoor environmental flows. More often, however, flow visualization is applied to room environments in connection with HVAC studies. In addition to thermal conditioning, industrial environments often require special ventilation considerations for removal of hazardous fumes or dust. Particular attention to ventilation is required in industries in which legislation has mandated minimum ventilation levels or maximum contaminant concentrations in order to protect workers.