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Experimental studies of thermal environment and contaminant transport in a commercial aircraft cabin with gaspers on
Author(s) -
Li B.,
Duan R.,
Li J.,
Huang Y.,
Yin H.,
Lin C.H.,
Wei D.,
Shen X.,
Liu J.,
Chen Q.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/ina.12265
Subject(s) - aisle , airflow , environmental science , air velocity , air quality index , air movement , thermal comfort , thermal , air change , marine engineering , ventilation (architecture) , engineering , meteorology , mechanical engineering , mechanics , structural engineering , physics
Gaspers installed in commercial airliner cabins are used to improve passengers' thermal comfort. To understand the impact of gasper airflow on the air quality in a cabin, this investigation measured the distributions of air velocity, air temperature, and gaseous contaminant concentration in five rows of the economy‐class section of an MD ‐82 commercial aircraft. The gaseous contaminant was simulated using SF 6 as a tracer gas with the source located at the mouth of a seated manikin close to the aisle. Two‐fifths of the gaspers next to the aisle were turned on in the cabin, and each of them supplied air at a flow rate of 0.66 l/s. The airflow rate in the economy‐class cabin was controlled at 10 l/s per passenger. Data obtained in a previous study of the cabin with all gaspers turned off were used for comparison. The results show that the jets from the gaspers had a substantial impact on the air velocity and contaminant transport in the cabin. The air velocity in the cabin was higher, and the air temperature slightly more uniform, when the gaspers were on than when they were off, but turning on the gaspers may not have improved the air quality.