Abstract
We describe various pressurization and tracer gas techniques for characterizing airflows in large multifamily buildings. We applied a number of these techniques to a six-story apartment building. Single and multizone fan pressurization methods enable the measurement of leakage areas of apartments to the outside and to other interior spaces. Single-zone fan pressurization at the apartment building showed that the apartments were relatively tight, with leakage areas dominated by the building's many open windows. Constant-injection tracer gas techniques allow measurement of airflows in the building's vertical shafts, which are likely to be stack dominated. Constant-injection measurements were used to estimate leakage areas in the stairwell. Three variations of the constant-concentration tracer gas technique can be used to measure outside airflows into individual apartments and allow certain interzone airflows to be estimated. These techniques applied to the apartment building showed that apartments exchange air primarily with the outside at rates depending heavily on window openings.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1335-1358 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | ASHRAE Transactions |
Volume | 93 |
Issue number | pt 1 |
State | Published - 1 Dec 1987 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Building and Construction
- Mechanical Engineering