Experimental study of a semi-passive ventilation grille with a feedback control system

The diffusion of window frames with low air permeability, due to the energy saving regulations, has implied in several cases the worsening of the indoor microclimate and air quality. On the other hand, air-tight window frames imply uncontrolled and too high air change rates. The mechanical ventilation not always is a practicable solution because of economic reasons and because it implies energy waste. Various Italian and European environmental and energetic laws take into consideration and promote the use of controlled natural ventilation, though this definition is not associated to well defined and tested technical solutions. An adequate solution can be achieved by using semi-passive self adjustable ventilation devices, able to ensure controlled changes of indoor air. In this paper, a semi-passive damper with a feedback control system is proposed and its behavior is investigated by means of experimental study. The presented semi-passive grille allows to control the air flow rate, injected into the room by natural or artificial pressure gradient, more effectively than the usual passive ventilation grilles made available by the present industrial production. However, since the semi-passive grille has a one-way flow, in the natural ventilation of a flat the proper functioning of the system could be ensured with a more complex configuration, with respect to the passive self-regulating grilles, able to limit the flow of fresh air in the presence of high levels of Δp; conversely, it could have widespread use in applications requiring a more accurate control of airflow in case of mechanical ventilation plants.