Examines ways in which air leakage affects building performance. Heating load and building relative humidity in winter are affected by over-all air infiltration and ventilation rates. Windows and doors usually represent the major source of air leakage in buildings. Condensation problems occur when exfiltrating air deposits moisture on surfaces such as atticsand inside double windows. Discusses ways of reducing condensation. Finds that air tightness in inside of enclosure must always be many times greater than that of the outer cladding.
Reports measurements of air change rates made on approximately 250 dwellings, occupied by low income households in 14 cities, in all major climatic zones of the United States. Two types of measurements were used : a tracer-gas decay technique using air sample bags and a fan depressurization test that measures induced air exchange rates. Shows that for this group of dwellings natural air infiltration rates have an approximate lognormal distribution.
Gives method for calculating air infiltration through window cracks. Calculates pressure drops across windows in buildings for four types of building and discusses resulting pressure differences. Gives values for crack width and length. Recommends design values for rates of air change due to infiltration in buildings heated by off-peak electricity.
Outlines the problem of assessing the rate of heat loss from dwellings due to ventilation. Discusses the mechanisms and pathways of ventilation and ways of controlling air infiltration. Reviews methods of measuring ventilation using tracer gases. Discusses qualities of ideal tracer gas and three automated measuring systems. Reviews some experimental results obtained from the SEGAS test house. Describes house and measurement method. Finds sealing house reduced ventilation rates by between 30 and 45 per cent.
This paper is a general survey of work done on natural ventilation of dwellings. Discusses ventilation of houses with both natural and mechanical ventilation. Reviews experimental investigations, quoting air-change-rates found. Discusses ventilation requirements and methods for investigating different factors. Outlines suggested experimental method for investigating air infiltration of mechanically ventilated houses.
Reports recent studies showing that seasonal efficiency of oil-fired residential heating systems is in the range 55-75% compared with steady-state efficiency of 80% or more. Finds this is due to effect of off-period draughts and of excess combustion air and draught control air on the infiltration loss for the structure. Discusses ways of improving efficiency. Finds sealed combustion systems may offer operating cost savings.
Describes the research being undertaken by the British Gas Corporation on adventitious ventilation. Outlines a test house programme which has quantified adventitious areas for both room components and progressively sealed rooms in dwellings of varying age and construction. Describes a model scale approach to natural ventilation aimed at predicting room air movements and ventilation rates. This work is compared with full-scale results and theoretical models.
Examines dependence of measured infiltration rates on wind speed, indoor/ outdoor temperature difference and pressure difference. Gives results in form of graphs of measured values. Calculates air-change-rate from crack length and finds good agreement with measured air-change-rate. Suggests that this is as a result of over-estimating the effect of wind and neglecting stack effect. Finds that stack effect is more important than wind. Comparison of the two houses found that the house shielded by trees and houses had a considerably smaller infiltration rate than that on an open site.
Reports investigation of air infiltration in two residences using helium as a tracer gas. Describes the residences, instrumentation and test procedure. Gives results of decay rate of tracer gas and measured infiltration rates. Summarizes test conditions in tables of temperature, wind speed and direction, internal to external pressure differences and height of the neutral zone. Concludes that in houses with warm-air heating systems a single helium analyzing cell in the return air-stream would provide a satisfactory indication of house infiltration rate.
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