Comparison of modelled and measured tracer gas concentrations in a multizone building.

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. Following detailed leakage and flow-pathcharacterization measurements of the building, experiments were conducted in which tracergas concentrations were measured as a function of time in each room of the building.Comparison of the simulations with these detailed measurements showed reasonable -- and insome cases, quite good -- agreement. The paper describes some details of the experimentsand modeling and discusses the differences between the observed and the predictedconcentrations.