A Study on the Airflow Characteristics through the Entrance of Underground Parking Lots in Office Building

This paper shows the characteristics of airflow by infiltration through opening of underground parking lot in office building. This infiltration affects indoor air quality and building energy consumption. The effect of the wind velocity, direction and temperature differences between indoor and outdoor on the airflow through the building envelop has been investigated. In this study, the effect of the infiltration through opening of underground parking lot in office building will be analyzed using airflow network modeling by CONTAMW 3.0. Office building were simulated to confirm these characteristics. It is important to estimate the airflow and pressure difference across opening of underground parking lot for understanding the energy impacts of infiltration in office building because infiltration is likely to affect building energy consumption. As a result, there is general upward movement of air inside the building under outside cold conditions with airflow into vertical shafts from the lower floors and out to the upper ones. For preventing problems from the stack effect in office building, the first concern should be the improvement of airtightness in the opening of underground parking lot.