English

Gives a brief survey of aspects of research into air infiltration. Discusses methods of measurement of ventilation rates and of building leakiness, covering the infrasonic and pressurisation methods of leakage testing, and thermography and tracer gas methods of measuring ventilation rates. Describes the available techniques for predicting leakiness and infiltration rates, and discusses their ease of application and accuracy. Concludes that the achievements of research to date are sound methods of measuring leakiness and infiltration rates.

Two series of pressurisation and ventilation measurements have been made in a low-energy house. One of the objectives of the work was to assess the extent to which the ventilation pattern of the house could be improved by modifying its leakage distribution. The first series of measurements was interpreted to understand the ventilation pattern and to make recommendations for the modifications. The second series was used to find out the effects of the modifications.

This parameter study with the IMG calculation model for ventilation is an attempt at forming some background for decisions relating to the preparation of a standard in the Netherlands. From the results one can see that air tightness and the heat loss caused by infiltration cannot be considered as a simple linear relationship .

Describes LBL's Mobile Infiltration Test Unit (MITU) which spent the 1980-1981 winter in the field collecting the data required for infiltration modelling. Data included measured infiltration rates, surface pressures, wind velocities, indoor and outdoor temperatures, leakage area and leakage distribution. Comparisons of measured infiltration rates with values calculated from surface pressures (using MITU) have shown no decrease in accuracy when a square-root flow model is used instead of the general power-fit model of leakage.

The needs, history, procedures, and past case studies for the house doctor approach are outlined. This program of individualized instrumented energy audits and retrofits has reached a stage in development where steadily increasing numbers of house doctors are envisioned for the years immediately ahead.

Describes details of wall and foundation designs that have been used in constructing super-insulated houses on the Canadian prairies. One trend has been the development of the double framing system in which two sets of wall studs are used one

Reports on a measurement system developed by the Institute of Technology at Tastrup Denmark, involving a microcomputer- controlled system for registering air change rates using tracer gas (nitrous oxide) according to the constant concentration method. The system is designed for measuring and metering tracer gas in up to 10 separate rooms (using an infrared gas absorption detector). It operates through automatic data logging on a floppy disc and can run without supervision for extended periods (up to six days).

Outlines a method for measuring the air leakage through the surface exteriors of an apartment, by adjusting the pressure of the adjoining apartments to that of the test apartment, so that no air leakage occurs through adjoining walls.

Gives a summary of the existing types of air infiltration measurement techniques and instrumentation using tracer gases. Describes automated air infiltration instrumentation used by researchers in the US, Canada, the UK, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland. The equipment can operate in the decay mode, constant flow mode and the constant concentration mode.

Presents the results of an investigation carried out on behalf of the Swiss Ministry for Environmental Protection. The main aims were to find acalculation method for the annual energy demand of a building which takes into account solar heat gain and which generates data permitting the effect of thermal protection regulations on energy consumption to be evaluated. Treats the effect on transmission heat loss of outside walls of absorbed solar radiation, the specific heat loss of typical dwellings, reference years based on weather data for energy consumption calculations.