Ventilation systems to prevent food odour spread in high-rise residential buildings

In the recent years, the spread of food odour in high-rise residential buildings has become a serious factor in indoor air quality problems in Korea. This study examined the use of ventilation systems to reduce the transmission of odour in the high rise buildings. The spread of food odour in an existing residential building was analysed by measurement and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. Although the kitchen exhaust system was used during cooking, the food odour level was "strong" in the kitchen and in the living room, and its spread caused the most serious problems at mealtimes. The existing system needed modification to reduce the food odour spread. The ventilation system in the kitchen was improved by increasing the volume of air exhausted through the ceiling, by changing the supply inlet's angle of incidence, and by fitting a stronger exhaust system with the ability to decrease the food odour level in a shorter time. During development, system performances were analysed using a CFD simulation method. The food odour level was shown to have decreased greatly by the use of the modified kitchen exhaust system, which reduced the food odour to below the "weak" level in 30 min.