Assessment and improvement of the 2019 ASHRAE Handbook model for exhaust-to-intake dilution calculations for rooftop exhaust systems (ASHRAE 1823-RP)

The HVAC Applications volume of the 2019 ASHRAE Handbook: Chapter 46 gives multiple procedures for sizing building exhaust stacks and fans. The most complex of these procedures directly calculates dilution at a receptor of interest using plume theory and several empirical constants. There is suggestion in the literature that this model leads to overly conservative dilution predictions in some cases. The purpose of this work is to determine whether the ASHRAE model can be improved to give more accurate dilution predictions. First, the predictions of the existing equation are evaluated against several existing wind tunnel and full-scale studies and their shortcomings noted. The results show that the 2019 model under-predicts observed dilution mainly in two cases: near the stack and when the plume is within the assumed recirculation region. The assumptions for initial plume spread, height of recirculation zone region, plume spread and plume trajectory were varied parametrically to identify a better model. This optimized model can increase dilution predictions by factors between 2 and 500, while bounding measured data in all cases analyzed. This can reduce the required momentum ratio by 20-70%, leading to much more efficient fan sizing and operation.