Reducing human exposure to cooking-generated particles: performance and optimization of a novel adjacent-room ceiling make-up air system

Make-up air (MUA) systems are critical for reducing indoor concentrations of cooking-generated particles (CGPs) and enhancing range hood capture efficiency. Inhibiting the diffusion of particles that escape range hood capture is essential for minimizing human exposure. This study proposes a novel ceiling make-up air system (CMAS), which delivers air from the ceiling of an adjacent room, to reduce indoor CGP concentrations. The effectiveness of the CMAS in eliminating CGPs was compared with that of natural make-up air (NMAS) from a window and a vent located in the cabinet under the stove (RMAS). Furthermore, the effects of the MUA delivery angle and the MUA-to-exhaust airflow ratio on CMAS performance were investigated. The results showed that CMAS performance was highly dependent on the specific combination of its angle and ratio. A CMAS configuration with a 0.75 MUA ratio and a 90° angle provided the optimal CGP elimination. The proposed CMAS demonstrated significantly higher efficiency in both particle removal and attenuating particle diffusion compared to the NMAS and RMAS configurations. These findings offer a clear optimization strategy for indoor ventilation systems to alleviate the adverse health effects of CGPs.