Synergistic Impact on Indoor Air Quality: The Combined Use of Air Conditioners, Air Purifiers, and Fresh Air Systems

• Published in: Buildings
• Main Authors: Lizhi Jia, Jufeng Ge, Zhiqiang Wang, Wufeng Jin, Congcong Wang, Zhanwei Dong, Cheng Wang, Ren Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2024-05-01
• Subjects: indoor air quality; joint operation; air conditioner; fresh air system; air purifier; PM_2.5
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/6/1562

As concerns about indoor air quality increase, air purifiers and fresh air systems are increasingly being used in conjunction with air conditioners in office buildings. To study the synergistic effects of multisystem joint operation on indoor air quality, this study used a combination of experimental and simulation methods to study the indoor particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM_2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations under different operation conditions. The purification time and the PM_2.5 concentration distribution under different conditions were compared with the condition in which the purifier was used alone. The results showed that the purification time required for the condition that the air conditioner runs together with the purifier was shortened by 15.2%. When the fresh air system is running together with the purifier, the purification time can be reduced by 30.4%. It was reduced by 32.6% when the three systems were operating at the same time. The PM_2.5 concentration distribution under the joint operating condition was much more even than that under the condition in which the purifier was running alone. To analyze the impact on the CO₂ distribution, the CO₂ distributions under different joint operations were compared. The results show that the fresh air system can effectively dilute CO₂ below 1000 ppm in 30 min. The air conditioner and purifier could help to mix the indoor air to provide a much more uniform indoor CO₂ distribution.