Twenty per cent of the U.S. population attends schools daily. Normal density of occupants per floor area is four times that in office buildings. School boards facing increases in student population face the choice of using portable classrooms, (which are rarely only temporary), or overcrowding classroom spaces. Use of computers is growing increasing thermal discomfort and resulting distraction from studies.
Ninety per cent of
existing schools were built before 1980, when the Sick Building
Syndrome was not recognized; 50 per cent are more than 50 years
old with inadequate or outdated ventilation systems; continually
deferred maintenance constraints have made systems' performance
suspect. Growing children are particularly sensitive to respiratory
ailments created by inadequate Indoor Air Quality
(Ref.: NEA Indoor Air Quality - the Sick Building Syndrome http://www.nea.org/esp/resource/iaq.htm
Advantages of the Venturi-Wedge system
Good indoor air quality contributes to a favorable learning environment for students, productivity for teachers and staff, and a sense of comfort, health and well-being for all school occupants. These combine to assist a school in its prime mission - educating children (Ref.: enviro village).
- Good temperature and humidity control
- Excellent IAQ control
- Good energy management
- Venturi effect of ventilation air provides a bonus of cooled room air supplied to occupied strata of classrooms
- Constant air supple prevents vertical and lateral stratification and short circuiting of supply air
- Very low (NC 27) noise contribution to space
- No loss of floor space, or interference in classrooms
- Low cost of ownership
- Easy operability and maintainability by school staff; central equipment is easily accessible for constant supervision and regular maintenance of critical components
- Central equipment and ducting require minimum space
- Ceiling space in classrooms require minimum height
- Good adaptability for accommodating changes in programs, loads and schedules
- Specially designed and efficiently configured nozzles operate at low static pressure (0.5 in. WG); reduces ventilation air fan power.
Advantages of the Venturi-Wedge system
A cost-effective method to provide healthful air to schools, new or old
The Venturi Wedge is a ceiling mounted, high capacity air supply terminal, with no moving parts. Ventilation air, conditioned in a central air apparatus is designed to remove contaminants down to three micron size, is dehumidified and cooled or heated, ducted to the Venturi Wedge units, where it is released through special nozzles, inducting room air through a cooling coil which offsets sensible heat from the sun, occupants, lights and equipment transmitted to the space. The mixture of ventilation mixed with the conditioned room air is jetted down to provide a high level of invigorating air movement at the occupant's breathing level.
