Forum: Introduce outdoor air to eating places to improve ventilation
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I refer to the article “ Upgraded Old Airport Road Food Centre brighter, but some say ventilation poor
Similar ventilation problems exist in many open-air food centres and coffee shops across Singapore. The indoor atmosphere in these spaces is often contaminated with cooking fumes.
In addition, heat is generated from stoves and boiling water. Compounding the problem are body odour and carbon dioxide produced by the patrons.
While many of these establishments are equipped with local exhaust ventilation systems, they are often ineffective at capturing and removing airborne contaminants.
Ceiling fans are commonly provided to improve air circulation, but when indoor temperatures are close to or exceed skin temperature, the fans can exacerbate discomfort by blowing hot air directly onto people.
To address these ventilation issues without resorting to air-conditioning, outdoor air must be introduced into these spaces using blowers and trunking.
This serves to ensure a balanced airflow to maintain proper ventilation, lower indoor air temperature and humidity, and dilute carbon dioxide levels and body odour, enhancing air quality.
This approach integrates both dilution and general ventilation, which are now lacking in most food centres and coffee shops. Implementing such solutions can significantly improve the comfort and air quality in these public dining spaces.
Solomon Tan Kia Tang
