Air flow measurement using three tracer gases

I'Anson, Stephen; Irwin, Christopher; Howarth, A

doi:10.1016/0360-1323(82)90016-6

Cited by 19 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…ASTM E741 requires that the concentration be uniform within 10% (ASTM, ). Tracer gas methods for multizone situations, where the airflows between zones are such that the uniformity requirements cannot be met, have been available since the 1980s but are much more complex and typically used only in research applications (Enai et al., ; I'Anson et al., ; Miller et al., ; Palmiter et al., ; Waters and Simons, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field measurement of ventilation rates

Persily

2015

Indoor Air

115

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Ventilation rates have significant impacts on building energy use and indoor contaminant concentrations, making them key parameters in building performance. Ventilation rates have been measured in buildings for many decades, and there are mature measurement approaches available to researchers and others who need to know actual ventilation rates in buildings. Despite the fact that ventilation rates are critical in interpreting indoor concentration measurements, it is disconcerting how few Indoor Air Quality field studies measure ventilation rates or otherwise characterize the ventilation design of the study building(s). This paper summarizes parameters of interest in characterizing building ventilation, available methods for quantifying these parameters, and challenges in applying these methods to different types of buildings and ventilation systems. These parameters include whole-building air change rates, system outdoor air intake rates, and building infiltration rates. Tracer gas methods are reviewed as well as system airflow rate measurements using, for example, duct traverses. Several field studies of ventilation rates conducted over the past 75 years are described to highlight the approaches employed and the findings obtained.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field measurement of ventilation rates

Persily

2015

Indoor Air

115

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“…In the winter, a modest flow from the attic into the living zone was inferred from the tracer gas results; however, the associated flow rate only represented 1%‐2% of the total flow entering the living zone. Undetectable airflow from attic to the living zone has been reported for 2 research houses previously; significant downward airflow from attic to the living zone was measured in other test houses . In particular, Fortmann et al reported that the downward airflow from attic to living zone was around 80% of the reverse upward flow in a test house in Maryland, and the corresponding value was 5%‐30% for a second house after a house‐tightening retrofit procedure.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Building interzonal airflows have been studied utilizing multiple tracers . Earlier studies of the residential interzonal airflows were often carried out in research houses . Field measurements in dwellings under normal occupancy conditions are limited, and continuous measurements investigating diel patterns or seasonal variation are rare .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…11,12 Earlier studies of the residential interzonal airflows were often carried out in research houses. 1,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Field measurements in dwellings under normal occupancy conditions are limited, 4,10,[20][21][22] and continuous measurements investigating diel patterns or seasonal variation are rare. 4 Available measurements in occupied dwellings generally show considerable airflow rates to the living zones from the studied coupled spaces, including garages, 21,22 basements, 20,22 or common apartment hallways.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Detailed investigation of ventilation rates and airflow patterns in a northern California residence

et al. 2018

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Building ventilation rates and indoor airflow conditions influence occupants' exposure to indoor air pollutants. By making time- and space-resolved measurement of 3 inert tracers steadily released in a single-family house in California for 8 weeks in summer and 5 weeks in winter, this study quantifies the air change rate of the living zone with 2-hour time resolution; estimates airflow rates between the living zone, attic, and crawlspace; and characterizes mixing of air in the split-level living space. Occupant behaviors altered the air change rates, primarily through opening windows and secondarily through operating the heating system. The air change rate correlated with the number of window openings, accounting for 57% of the variability measured across 2 seasons. There were substantial upward interzonal airflows between the crawlspace, living zone, and attic; downward airflows were negligible by comparison. More than 70% of the airflow entering the living zone in the winter and at night during summer came through the crawlspace, rather than directly from outdoors. The airflow from the living zone to the attic increased with the attic-outdoor temperature difference, indicating that buoyancy associated with solar heating of the attic induced airflow from the living zone, increasing the air change rate.

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“…These assumptions are approximations at best and the errors associated with the actual conditions of imperfect mixing within zones and nonuniform initial conditions are not well known Several measurement systems employing the multi-tracer decay method have been developed, including those of Irwin et al (1984) and Prior et al (1983) Both systems employ gas chromatograph electron capture detectors, to measure refrigerants in the first system and perfluorocarbon tracers in the latter. I' Anson et al (1982) also employs a decay system involving refrigerant tracers. In figure 2, we show representative data from their paper in which two tracers are used to study the airflow between the upper and lower levels of a building.…”

Section: Decaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracer gas techniques for studying building air exchange

Persily¹

1988

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A variety of procedures have been developed that employ tracer gases to study the air exchange characteristics of buildings.These procedures enable the examination of several features of building air exchange including ventilation rates, air movement within buildings, and building envelope airtightness. This paper reviews tracer gas measurement techniques that have been used to study air exchange in buildings. Background information is discussed such as the instrumentation used in these tests, building features that influence their application, and the fundamental theory of tracer gas measurement. Several specific applications are discussed including air exchange rate measurement in large buildings, low-cost procedures for measuring air exchange rates in large numbers of buildings, techniques for evaluating the performance of air distribution systems, and pressurization testing of envelope airtightness in large buildings. A detailed bibliography is also included to facilitate a more thorough examination of the topics discussed.

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Air flow measurement using three tracer gases

Cited by 19 publications

References 2 publications

Field measurement of ventilation rates

Field measurement of ventilation rates

Detailed investigation of ventilation rates and airflow patterns in a northern California residence

Tracer gas techniques for studying building air exchange

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