Performs tracer gas measurements and fan pressurization experiments on an 8-storied student residential building in order to determine the influence of wind as well as of stack effect upon air infiltration. Compares pressure and tracer gas distributions with those from a predictive infiltration computer model for high rise buildings.
Determines ventilation rates and intercell flow rates in naturally ventilated office building using multiple tracer gases. Subdivides the building into 3zones and seeds each zone individually with a different tracer gas. Monitors the time histories of the concentrations of all gases in each zone using non-dispersive infra red gas analysers. Calculates air flow rates from experimental data.
Compares and contrasts different methods of ventilation measurement in large buildings. Conventional methods of using tracer gas to measure ventilation rates in large volumes are cumbersome and expensive. These constant concentration and decay measurements require artificial mixing, complex monitoring equipment and large installation costs. By using discrete injection and sampling units, long term samples of tracer gas be collected with the minimum of capital and installation costs. Samples collected represent the mean local equilibrium tracer gas concentrations.
Describes pressurization tests conducted by the National Testing Institute on 3 large industrial buildings. Sets out equipment and methods used including atracer gas method to calculate air flow through the fan rather than the usual measuring duct. Gives construction and volume details of buildings measured.
Describes the testing of 8 federal office buildings (size from 3000 sq.m. - 45000 sq.m.) for their air infiltration characteristics, as part of the NBS program to develop diagnostic test methods for evaluating the thermal integrity of federal office buildings. Performs tracer gas tests in the autumn, winter and spring to evaluate both the ventilation of these buildings during occupied periods and the natural air leakage under various weather conditions.
Grab sampling of a tracer gas/air mixture in conjunction with the tracer gas decay technique is a convenient method for conducting a survey of air infiltration rates in homes. Examines such a method, using SF6 as the tracer gas and storing the concentration in evacuated glass tubes.
Describes some new theoretical and experimental techniques developed by British Gas to investigate the ventilation of buildings. These include:< 1. The multi-cell model "vent" for predicting ventilation rates< 2. "Autovent", the multi-cell constant concentration tracer gas technique used for measuring ventilation patterns in buildings.< 3. Pressurization techniques for measuring air leakage in buildings.< Gives a selection of results from applications of these techniques to show their scope.
Describes a field method for surveying residences for indoor air quality. The method requires 2 days of field testing for each residence - a day to perform a multipoint tracer gas study to characterize the ventilation efficiency of the various spaces in the house and to determine the overall air change rate; and a day to measure contaminant concentrations in locations selected according to the results of the tracer gas study and contaminant generation locations. Describes and discusses results obtained by this surveying procedure in 3 energy efficient residences.
Presents various measurement and inspection techniques for assessing the thermal performance of the exterior envelopes of buildings. Inspection techniques include the use of ground-based infra-red thermographic surveys, aerial infra-red surveys, tracer gas air infiltration measurements, pressurization tests for measuring the tightness of the building envelope, and spot radiometer surveys for detecting gross defects. Also considers heat flow meters, a portable calorimeter and a microprocessor-driven envelope testing unit. Provides recommended procedures for each technique.
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