A number of single tracer gas techniques (decay, step-up, homogeneous constant emission,inlet pulse and homogeneous pulse) suitable for measuring the local mean ages of air in multizonebuildings exist, each having their advantages and drawbacks. The characteristics of thedifferent available techniques are compared from theoretical and practical points of view. Thehomogeneous pulse technique has not been experimentally validated before. This techniquerelies on pulses of tracer gas being injected into the different zones in amounts, which areproportional to the zone volumes.
Few detailed comparisons of modeled ad measured pollutant concentrations in multizonebuildings have been published. The COMIS air flow and contaminant transport modelpermits simulation of the effects of building and HVAC operation, as well as the influence ofthe local meteorology, on air flows within the building. We have recently used this model tosimulate the release of a gas-phase tracer in a three-story, multi-room building located atDugway Proving Ground, Utah, USA.
In designing thermal and ventilation systems in buildings, an examining process of exchange between the designers and analysts is needed. This study aims to expand the simulation system of thermal and ventilation into an automated process for the design of optimum thermal and ventilative conditions, based on the expertise of analysts, the analysis of the thermal environment and the modification of the design, by automating these functions.
Une revue des codes numeriques permettant de predire le comportement des batiments multizones montre nettement la difficulte qu'il y a a Jes evaluer par manque de donnees experimentales fiab/es. Apres une breve description des methodes de caracterisation de la permeabilite Jes plus repandues, la presente publication decrit une methode dite passive, basee sur la definition de scenarii lies a la morphologie du batiment. Cette methode est testee et evaluee sur deux batiments reels.