The Department of Building Technology, the Technological Institute of Copenhagen, have for several years been developing equipment for continuous measurement of air infiltration. It enables continuous measurement of air change rate in up to ten rooms, the constant concentration method with tracer gas is used, and the results are recorded on a computer diskette during measurement. Analysis of possible measuring errors show that the method is accurate and to within plus or minus 5%. Shows the results of measurement of air infiltration in 10 relatively airtight dwellings.
There have been considerable efforts to estimate risks to health from the present level of indoor air quality. However, there has been comparatively little work to relate these calculated risks to other risks of energy use or conservation, or to determine how large these risks will be in the future. This paper finds that, on the basis of extrapolated trends, risk associated with changes in indoor air quality in the United States. The other two are associated with the expected change to smaller automobiles and the entire coal fuel cycle, from producing electricity to synthetic fuels.
Describes research work in Finland concerning air infiltration and ventilation in buildings from 1979. Types of ventilation system in finnish houses, flats and other buildings are discussed. Reports on a model developed to predict the correlation between various factors and air infiltration. Gives a summary of pressure test measurements carried out in a few hundred small houses, and presents proposals for recommended airtightness levels in new buildings. Describes warm air heating systems, heat recovery systems in flats, and maintenance problems with ventilation systems.
Energy is consumed in heating the air infiltrating into houses maintained at temperatures above ambient. By using climatic data tapes and a daily profile for indoor temperature of a house, it is possible to calculate factors, which in conjunction with a relationship between air change rate and wind speed enable the energy consumption due to infiltration to be calculated on amonthly basis. This has been done for Melbourne, Australia and the factors tabulated on a monthly, annual and heating season (April Nov) basis.
Reviews recent research in residential infiltration with an analysis of how the results are utilized in the design-build process. Identifies component testing as the research area most applicable to practical application efforts. Provides component and assembly test data. Discusses the need to reorient certain research efforts to more practically meet the needs of the residential industry. Presents clarifications and extensions of recently published work on component leakge.
Describes a 2 year study sponsored by EPRI to ivestigate relationships between energy use, air infiltration and indoor air quality. Uses 2 bi-level, detached houses, identical in design and wind exposure. Continuously monitors parameters related to related to energy use, air infiltration, and indoor air quality.
Describes a model that predicts air infiltration from both wind and temperature influence to within 20%. Compares the predicted value and measured infiltration from a full-scale test structure, revealing an average discrepancy of less than 10 m3/hr (out of an average of approx 150 m3/hr). Presents direct measurements of the wind velocity and pressure coefficients induced by the wind on the full-scale test structure.
Examines the sensitivity of the predicted air infiltration rate to measured building air tightness data and the wind exposure index determined from site inspection. Presents results of air tightness tests in New Zealand houses, which indicate the range of leakage resistance for components, for solid materials (such as wall and ceiling lining materials) and for cracks separating major components such as floors and walls.
Makes a field study of energy consumption in 3 electrically heated high rise apartment buildings in Chicago, to see if stack effect causes significant variations in the heating requirements of apartments according to their location in tall buildings. The buildings have 30, 42, and 45 floors, and theheating consumption for December through March is computed and plotted against floor number. Results show that normal stack effect is suppressed in a tall apartment building when supply and exhaust fans are running.
Evaluates results from constant concentration tracer gas measurements and fan pressurization measurements in three houses and predicts ventilation rates for longer time periods using the LBL model. Test results show that the best way of both supplying adequate ventilation and conserving energy is to make sure that the building envelope is sufficiently tight and then install a mechanical ventilation system. Shows that it is possible to correlate fan pressurization measurements and infiltration rates.
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