dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Social Links
  • zedreviews.com
  • citi.io
  • aster.cloud
  • liwaiwai.com
  • guzz.co.uk
  • atinatin.com
0 Likes
0 Followers
0 Subscribers
dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
  • Cities
  • Lah!

Novel Window Design Reduces Outdoor Noise And Improves Ventilation

  • February 4, 2021
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

Home owners, especially those staying in noisy districts, can look forward to greater living comfort with a new invention by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Design and Environment (SDE) that reduces outdoor noise and improves indoor ventilation.

Called the Acoustic Friendly Ventilation Window (AFVW), this novel system cuts environment noise levels by 26 decibels (dB), which is approximately more than a fourfold reduction in terms of a human’s perception of loudness. It can also achieve four times better ventilation than an open conventional window.

Urban noise has long been a problem for high-density cities such as Singapore where the average outdoor sound level is about 69.4 dB. To prevent outdoor noise, an enclosed air-conditioned space would be an ideal solution. However, this would mean increased energy consumption and reduced natural ventilation. At the same time, as the global spread of COVID-19 continues, more attention has also been paid to redesigning built environment and spaces to ensure sustainability, physical well-being and emotional wellness.

2021 0203 AFVW-1
Honorary Fellow Dr Lee Siew Eang (left) and Dr Eddie Lau Siu-Kit (right) from NUS School of Design and Environment, with the Acoustic Friendly Ventilation Window installed at the NUS-CDL Smart Green Home.

With a focus on improving wellness, aural comfort and indoor air quality, Dr Eddie Lau Siu-Kit from the Department of Architecture and Honorary Fellow Dr Lee Siew Eang from the Department of Building, had developed the AFVW together with former colleagues Dr Du Liangfen and Mr Martin Konrad Danzer, who had both worked on the project while they were with SDE.

Better noise reduction and ventilation

Adopting labyrinth air path and sound absorption techniques that have better noise reduction at a broader range of frequencies, the AFVW was fabricated and installed at the NUS-CDL Smart Green Home for testing since December 2019.

Measuring height 1.8m by width 0.88m by thickness 0.15m, the AFVW consists of two layers of glass panes with two staggered vents and a mechanical ventilation system. The glass panes are designed 0.6 cm thick and are set 8.5 cm apart. In order to achieve better sound insulation performance, sound absorbers are installed along the sides between the glass panes.

afvw-infographic

Sound tests based on international standards conducted at the NUS-CDL Smart Green Home showed that the combination of the double glass panes and the sound absorbers was able to reduce typical traffic noise by 26 dB. This effectively means that the human’s perception of loudness is reduced by more than four times. Every 10 dB reduction in sound levels is about half of the human’s perception of loudness.

While keeping the noise out, the AFVW is also able to provide natural ventilation through two open vents. Air flow passes through a staggered vent at the bottom of the window and out through another staggered vent at the top. A mechanical ventilation system is installed in between the glass panes to enhance the indoor air change. Using tracer gas simulating as a “pollutant” which was injected into a room installed with the AFVW and another with an open conventional window, the team found that the concentration of tracer gas, i.e. the removal of the “pollutant”, decreases four times faster for the AFVW than for open conventional windows.

This means that the system could potentially improve thermal comfort with minimal energy consumption compared to natural ventilation. A dust particle filter, similar to those used in air-conditioning units, can also be added to the system to filter dust particles or pollutants.

“The AFVW provides additional ventilation as well as sound insulation for the indoor environment, and this is particularly important for improving indoor air quality and potentially mitigating the spread of infectious diseases,” shared Dr Eddie Lau, leader of the research team.

2021 0203 AFVW-2
Lead researcher Dr Eddie Lau Siu-Kit from the NUS School of Design and Environment installing the mechanical ventilation system for the Acoustic Friendly Ventilation Window, which is able to achieve four times better ventilation than an open conventional window.

Pilot trial at CDL premises

The AFVW prototype will be installed at City Developments Limited’s (CDL) premises for test bedding and system refinements to make it viable for commercial and residential living applications. This is part of a partnership under two NUS-CDL platforms: the NUS-CDL Smart Green Home and Tropical Technology Labs.

Ms Esther An, CDL Chief Sustainability Officer, said, “Through championing leading-edge innovation, CDL continues to implement creative sustainable solutions that further the quality of the homes we develop. Our focus on green building and technology applications ensures we provide even more wellness and comfort to cater to the needs of today’s homeowners. We are excited for a successful pilot of the AFVW, which could potentially see its application pioneering at our future developments.”

Contributing to sustainability research at NUS-CDL Smart Green Home

The NUS-CDL Smart Green Home is a unique indoor test-bed environment that serves as a platform for holistic and innovative experimental studies on smart features, green building technologies and design for sustainable living.

Situated in SDE4, Singapore’s first new-build net-zero energy building, NUS-CDL Smart Green Home is a 100 m2 full-size home designed for plug-and-play experimentation of new smart materials, systems and finishes.

“The AFVW is one of SDE’s many research outcomes strategically aligned with our ‘Well & Green’ vision that emphasises a people-centric integrated design approach. The NUS-CDL Smart Green Home allows customisation to facilitate cross-disciplinary research and development, ultimately creating a well-designed and healthy indoor environment,” said SDE Dean Professor Lam Khee Poh.

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • Acoustic Friendly Ventilation Window
  • Buildings
  • National University of Singapore
  • Noise
  • NUS
  • School of Design and Environment
  • Windows
dotlah.com

Previous Article
  • Cities
  • Lah!

First Look: CapitaSpring, Singapore’s Newest Skyscraper

  • February 2, 2021
View Post
Next Article
  • Lah!
  • Technology

ST Engineering Launches Anti-Microbial Solution Approved for Use In Cabin Interiors

  • February 4, 2021
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Cities

Politicians love comparing NZ’s economy to Singapore or Ireland – but it’s simplistic and misleading

  • dotlah.com
  • September 21, 2025
View Post
  • Cities
  • Technology

Meralco PowerGen’s PacificLight starts up 100 MW fast-response plant in Singapore

  • dotlah.com
  • June 20, 2025
View Post
  • Cities

Renewable energy, carbon credits are priority areas of cooperation for Singapore, Philippines: Lawrence Wong

  • dotlah.com
  • June 4, 2025
View Post
  • Cities
  • Politics

Singapore businesses eye more investments in PH, says PM Wong

  • Dean Marc
  • June 4, 2025
View Post
  • Cities
  • Research

Mathematicians uncover the logic behind how people walk in crowds

  • dotlah.com
  • April 3, 2025
View Post
  • Lah!

Tariffs, Trump, and Other Things That Start With T – They’re Not The Problem, It’s How We Use Them

  • John Francis
  • March 25, 2025
View Post
  • Lah!

Canonical announces 12 year Kubernetes LTS

  • John Francis
  • March 4, 2025
“Toyota Woven City,” a Test Course for Mobility, Completes Phase 1 Construction and Prepares for Launch
View Post
  • Cities
  • Technology

“Toyota Woven City,” a Test Course for Mobility, Completes Phase 1 Construction and Prepares for Launch

  • John Francis
  • January 6, 2025


Trending
  • 1
    • Cities
    • Lah!
    Additional Precautionary Measures To Prevent Further Importation And Spread Of COVID-19 Cases
    • March 15, 2020
  • elon-musk-es-052418-elon-musk-is-on-twitter-1527189506 2
    • Cities
    What Elon Musk Can Do With $44 Billion Instead Of Buying Twitter
    • November 15, 2022
  • 3
    • Lah!
    Singapore Retains Position As One Of The Largest FX Centres Globally
    • September 17, 2019
  • 4
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    SGInnovate Partners ST Engineering and Tegasus International to Boost Cybersecurity Capabilities of 2,500 Professionals Over Three Years
    • October 4, 2019
  • 5
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    DBS, Singapore Judiciary, Ministry Of Communications And Information Launch Community Hackathon To Counter Growing Trend Of Online Harms
    • July 23, 2021
  • 6
    • Lah!
    • Science
    PISA 2018 Results Are Out: Singapore Ranks 2nd Out Of 79 Countries
    • December 15, 2019
  • 7
    • Cities
    Why Are Electric Scooters Dangerous?
    • June 5, 2020
  • 8
    • Cities
    Clean & Green Singapore 2021 Brings Online Learning Experiences, Exhibitions And Virtual Tours Until March 2022
    • November 23, 2021
  • 9
    • People
    Here Are 6 Lessons Social Entrepreneurs Learned About Creating Systems Change
    • January 25, 2020
  • Cloud 10
    • Engineering
    • People
    • Public Cloud
    Why We Need Both Cloud Engineers And Cloud Architects
    • March 11, 2024
  • 11
    • Business
    • People
    • Technology
    How Technology Is Improving Human Resources Management
    • February 14, 2020
  • 12
    • Cities
    • Lah!
    GrabSupermarket Launches In Singapore, To Offer Over 10,000 Products With Next-Day Delivery
    • May 29, 2021
Trending
  • 1
    Singapore’s national identity excludes those who don’t look like a ‘regular family’
    • October 9, 2025
  • Smart Watch 2
    Best Smartwatches, Your Gateway to Health Monitoring and Everyday Use
    • October 5, 2025
  • Cooking pots and pans 3
    Best Pots and Pans 2025: All-Season, All-Purpose Picks for Every Kitchen
    • September 23, 2025
  • 4
    Politicians love comparing NZ’s economy to Singapore or Ireland – but it’s simplistic and misleading
    • September 21, 2025
  • Kitchen Knives - Best All-Around Picks in 2025 5
    Kitchen Knives : The Surgeons of Cooking – Best All-Around Picks in 2025
    • September 15, 2025
  • 6
    Apple unveils iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the most powerful and advanced Pro models ever
    • September 9, 2025
  • 7
    Apple debuts iPhone 17
    • September 9, 2025
  • Fruits and vegetables for cooking. For food processors. 8
    Food Processor: The Swiss Army Knife of the Kitchen – Best All-Around Picks in 2025
    • September 8, 2025
  • 9
    Meet Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Series: Packing Everything You Expect From a Premium Tablet
    • September 4, 2025
  • 10
    Malaysia’s ‘ASEAN Shenzhen’ needs some significant legal reform to take off — here’s how
    • August 25, 2025
Social Links
dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Connecting Dots Across Asia's Tech and Urban Landscape

Input your search keywords and press Enter.