For better indoor air climate –

Displacement Ventilation
Dr. Andrey Livchak, Rick Bagwell, Rich Catan, Halton Company USA
Why Bother With It?
Whether we like it or not, we spend most of our time indoors and this situation is unlikely to change in
foreseeable future. It is difficult to estimate the effect the indoor air climate has on our health, productivity,
and overall enjoyment of life. Since the energy crisis of the late 1970’s, the building industry has made
our buildings more energy efficient and air tight. This allows less fresh air entering through the skin of
the building envelope, leaving us with the just one source of fresh air – the air conditioning system.
Air conditioning systems have improved significantly over the past decades, with new products and
solutions. However, air distribution systems and air terminals – the devices that deliver that precious
fresh air to building inhabitants, are far behind the progress. Look above, do you see that diffuser above
your head? It’s a good chance your grandpa saw the same thing. No wonder architects are trying to
hide these mixing diffusers out of sight, making air distribution systems efficiency eve n worse. Air
distribution is all about having your portion of fresh air delivered to you and not to a return diffuser.

Displacement and Mixing Ventilation, what is the difference?

There are two types of air distribution systems. The traditional one - mixing ventilation, its main
purpose is to efficiently mix supply air with room air. The contaminants in the room are diluted by
supply air and then extracted through the exhaust grill
(Fig. 1). Displacement ventilation (Fig. 2) does not mix the
impurities, it displaces them into the upper uninhabited
zone from where it is extracted.

With a displacement ventilation system, the supply air

temperature is
slightly lower
than room air
and supplied
at low velocity
directly into
occupied zone.
The impurities
and heat loads
in the space
are carried by
convective
Fig.1 Mixing Ventilation
flows created
by heat sources into the upper part of the room. Air in
the upper zone, having a higher temperature, does not
re-circulate back into the occupied zone. That is why the
temperature and concentration of impurities at the exhaust
outlet is higher than in the occupied zone.
Fig. 2 Displacement Ventilation
Fig. 3 illustrates a typical distribution
of temperature and concentration
Upper
of impurities in a room with Zone
Upper
Shift Zone
displacement ventilation. The
Zone
main objective is to maintain the
temperature and concentration in the Room Room
Height Height
occupied zone at design conditions,
while allowing higher temperature Occupied Occupied
Zone
and concentration levels to rise above Zone
the occupied zone.
Temperature Concentration

Instead of maintaining design

conditions in the whole room,
displacement ventilation system Fig. 3 Temperature and concentration distribution in a typical room with displacement ventilation
works where it is needed – in the occupied zone, thus saving energy required to air condition the
space.

Where to use Displacement Ventilation?

Displacement ventilation systems have been successfully used in Northern Europe during the last twenty
years. Initially used in industrial applications, designs have been successfully used for the ventilation
of offices and other commercial
spaces, where in addition to energy
conservation, indoor air quality and
comfort are important considerations.
Displacement ventilation is efficient
to use in spaces with high heat loads
where contaminants are carried together
with the warm convective flows. Recent
studies conducted at MIT show that
the load can be as high as 38 Btu/ (h.ft2)
(120 W/m2). Displacement ventilation
is especially effective when designing
air conditioning for spaces with high
ceilings, over 9 ft. Displacement
ventilation is mostly recommended
in theatres, auditoriums, atriums,
restaurants, commercial kitchens,
gyms, stores and factories. It is not Fig.4 Displacement Air Distribution Devices
recommended to use displacement
ventilation when contaminants are heavier than air. Since supply diffusers for displacement ventilation
are typically installed in the occupied zone, their finish, quality and diversity of models and shapes is
important for seamless integration of diffusers into interiors of different spaces (Fig. 4). Displacement
diffusers can also be disguised, painted or screened allowing them to merge into chosen background
by the careful use of paint, cover plates or grilles (see photos with reference projects on Fig. 5…7).
There are quite a few successful applications of displacement ventilation in the USA – in gyms, schools,
casinos, restaurants, shopping centers and office buildings.

Displacement Ventilation – design for

US climate

It is not the intention of this short article to give

detailed design guidelines. However, we will try to
point out the main considerations when designing
displacement ventilation systems. There are two major
points to be considered when designing airflow rates

Fig. 5 Restaurant with displacement ventilation system

for displacement ventilation: the energy balance and

convective flows. First, the shift zone height (see Fig.
3) is specified – it is the upper border of the occupied
zone. The warm air being carried by convective flows
from heat sources will stratify above the shift zone.
The most accurate method is to calculate amount of
supply air to be equal to the total amount of air being
carried by convective flows at the shift zone height. Fig. 6 Displacement diffuser in the airport terminal

Since diffusers are supplying air directly into the

occupied zone, special attention should be paid
to the supply air temperature. 55°F (13°C) supply
temperature, commonly used in mixing air distribution
systems in USA, can be used in displacement
ventilation systems only in industrial applications and
some specific applications like gymnasiums. In most
of the cases, the temperature difference between
supply air and design room air temperature should not
exceed 10°F (5.5°C). The air is supplied through the
displacement diffuser with low velocity and its throw
length depends on supply temperature – the lower
the supply temperature the longer the throw (Fig. 8).
Fig. 7
Thus the further the occupants from a diffuser, the
lower supply temperature is allowed. Diffuser height and design also significantly effects its throw
length.
Originally designed for Northern Europe,
displacement ventilation systems were
100% outside air systems. This approach
could be utilized in some of US applications Displacement
with high requirements for the amount of Diffuser
outdoor air and mild cooling loads, such
as schools, theaters and other similar
applications. However, in most of the
applications air re-circulation should be
used. It is more efficient to take return air throw length
Fig. 8 Flow pattern from displacement diffuser
from the occupied zone since air enthalpy
in the occupied zone is lower than in the upper zone of the rooms with displacement ventilation, not at
the ceiling as in mixing system design.

As you can see displacement air distribution design requires a different approach from mixing system
design and calculation methods. A number of HVAC consulting companies in this country are already
familiar with displacement ventilation design methods and have successfully implemented them.
Interest in displacement ventilation is growing as this form of air distribution addresses the critical
need for improved indoor air quality. Several recent applications in the USA attest to the viability of
displacement ventilation from an IAQ and energy conservation perspective.