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Indoor Environment Center at Penn State
Aerosol test rig and measurement equipment. The rig in the background is an ASHRAE Standard 52.2-compliant particulate filter test rig modified to be able to perform wet and dry bioaerosol tests.
The Indoor Environment Center (IEC) got its start at Penn State in 2000 to serve as a focal point for the research of indoor environmental quality. The IEC conducts interdisciplinary research, knowledge transfer and outreach activities to support the development of indoor environments that are more safe; more thermally, visually and acoustically comfortable; and that minimize the use of energy and other resources.
“Indoor environmental quality is broader than indoor air quality,” explains Bill Bahnfleth, director of the center and professor of architectural engineering. “It includes indoor thermal conditions, lighting, and acoustics.”
The IEC is housed in the Department of Architectural Engineering, but includes faculty from throughout the University, as well as collaborators from outside Penn State.
The IEC uses a number of existing laboratory facilities at Penn State and collaborating institutions. Under the direction of Jim Freihaut, associate professor of architectural engineering, the IEC has developed significant new indoor air quality laboratories for the study of the dynamics and control of viable and non-viable aerosols.
The new facilities are being used to investigate exposure pathways for indoor allergens and the control of bioaerosols with ultraviolet light. UV research includes the development of protocols for conducting biological testing of air cleaner performance and the measurement of the characteristics of UVC lamps under variable operating conditions and as they age.
The center is also studying the effects of different types of return air systems. “As air is supplied to a space to condition it, the air it displaces can go back to the air-handling unit through ducts or through a plenum space between the ceiling and floor above. This may be the only study that’s ever been done to see if there are any important differences between those two in terms of energy use, air quality, and security.” The research involves modeling, field measurements at Penn State, and laboratory measurements at the Iowa State Energy Resource Station.”
Cross-disciplinary work is one of the fundamentals of the IEC’s success. The IEC has supported research by construction management faculty in Architectural Engineering on green healthcare facilities. Rick Mistrick, associate professor of architectural engineering, is working with the center to research daylighting, taking into account not only the lighting energy consumption, but also its impact on heating and cooling loads.
Indoor environmental quality is an issue in all buildings, so the IEC has researched not only commercial buildings, but also hospitals and agricultural buildings. “One of our studies investigated air quality in poultry barns,” Bahnfleth said.
“Since 2002, we’ve done a considerable amount of homeland security-related research for government sponsors because of its connections with indoor air quality control,” Bahnfleth says. This research is related to the protection of buildings and their occupants from chemical and biological weapons attacks. It has involved modeling air flow and the transport of contaminants in buildings, and studying methods for evaluating security measures.
The center seeks to engage industry using a systems approach to air quality and building design. The IEC works with industry and other sponsors on research projects and also uses its laboratories for product testing on a limited basis. “Manufacturers of building products are becoming more attuned to the idea of a systems approach,” Bahnfleth says. “This is a fundamental aspect of high performance green building design.”
Bahnfleth notes that the IEC works closely with the University’s Office of Physical Plant when field studies are needed. These have included testing its airflow model calibration software at the MBNA Career Services and Thomas Buildings and studying the effects of ducted and plenum return air systems in the Rackley and Leonhard Buildings.
“We can help industry characterize their products, like air cleaners, in our IAQ laboratory, and we can apply the systems point of view to integrate projects into buildings,” Bahnfleth says.
