pressurization

A comprehensive computer program for the prediction of air flow and smoke migration in the building was applied to the 11 story administration building of the National Bureau of Standards. Natural air leakage rates under various climatic conditions for several ventilation system operations were obtained. The computed results were compared with measured air leakage rate by using the sulphur hexafluoride tracer gas technique. Smoke migration was simulated for the selected pressurization conditions.

This is done by means of a fan pressing air into the interior of a not air-tight greenhouse. The amount of exchanged air is measured by equipping the fan with a wind tunnel, it is depending on the difference of pressure between the inside and outside of the greenhouse. The difference of pressure and the air exchange figures are applied to the natural conditions in the case of different air velocities.

Describes a procedure for determination of the rate of air leakage through a building's exterior envelope resulting from specified air pressure differences. The method, based on Swedish standard SS 021551, can be used tomeasure the whole building leakage or just a specific part of the envelope. The air flow and the pressure differences are recorded for a number of pressure differences, both positive and negative.

A study was conducted to determine the air leakage rates in Skymark 1, a high rise condominium in Toronto, particularly air leakage rates of the exterior walls of "Florida Rooms" which were constructed by the enclosure of original open balconies.

This report describes tracer gas measurements and pressurization tests made on two low-cost houses about one year after their construction. The influence of wind speed on the ventilation rate was found to be significant, whereas stack effect was found to have no significant influence. Infiltration rates of 0.24 and 0.34 h-1 were found. These values are very low for Belgian dwellings. A pressurization and depressurization test was performed for each house at pressure differences between 5 and 150 Pa. The ageing effect was found to be quite substantial.

Presents a detailed description of the measurement technique and apparatus used to measure the air change rate in the Spencer St and Linford low-energy houses in Milton Keynes, UK. An automatic air infiltration rig using nitrous oxide tracer gas constant decay was used. Air leakage was also measured by pressurization for the Linford houses and some from the neighbouring Pennyland project.

The Alberta Home Heating Facility has been used over a five year period to attempt to understand the effects of retrofit procedures on the house structure as a whole. The percentage of total energy attributable toinfiltration is calculated, and the influence of furnaces on natural infiltration rates is discussed. Results of blower tests are given for the six modules and compared with measured infiltration rates.

The development and construction of portable test equipment to determine air leakage has made it possible to carry out measurements on a large number of dwellings built using different construction technologies. The recording and analysis of the data collected is presented in this paper. This makes it possible to propose a method for taking sealing defects into account in the calculation of air infiltration of dwellings.

The fan pressurization method has been widely used by groups working with building retrofits and with new construction to evaluate the air tightness of building envelopes. 

Twelve energy-efficient houses in Eugene, Oregon, USA, were measured for effective leakage area using blower door fan pressurization. Air exchange rates over a period of several hours were determined by tracer gas decay analysis.