English

This report describes results from the first group of field measurements of the air change rate in 49 nonresidential buildings in the Stale o"f California. The air change rate measurements were made using a tracer gas method. Procedures were based on protocols developed in ''Protocol for Measuring the Air Change Rate in Non-residential Buildings." Purpose of the tests was to obtain preliminary data for determining the effect of the various California Energy Codes on the air change rates in non-residential buildings.

This report describes various measurement protocols to be used in the measurement of air change rates in non-residential buildings. The measurement protocols are based on the use of tracer gas techniques.

Ventilating a fire compartment during operational fire fighting procedures may have unpredictable consequences. In some cases the ventilation is advantageous: the hot gases are removed from the fire enclosure, the visibility improves and the enclosure cools down. In some cases the opposite happens: with the accelerated burning rate, more smoke is spread around, and the temperatures rise. The most dramatic consequence is the initiation of a backdraft, where the pyrolyzed gases ignite instantaneously, in the worst case causing a severe explosion.

As part of a long-term investigation into fabric energy storage systems, EA Technology has been monitoring the headquarters of Weidmuller Interface, the first UK application of Termodeck, since the building was occupied in July 1994. Has the system lived up to expectations?

Natural night-time ventilation is often used to pre-cool low energy buildings, but can lead to security risks and weather damage. A prototype night ventilator has been built to combat such problems, but how has it performed in field tests?

Two models, the Eggenberger- Polya and the William's logarithmic series have been used to predict the probability of occurrence of varying length mild and hot spells, respectively, for the summer period using a 13-yr hourly database from Athens. Greece. The proposed models provide the necessary information to energy analysis and climatologists contributing towards a more precise analysis of the summer comfort conditions.

Termodeck's passive cooling system of indoor climate control uses hollowed-out concrete slabs through which room air is circulated. During the summer, the fan runs at night, too, passing cool air over the slabs to ensure the temperature remains cool for the day ahead. Andy Cook reports.

The aim of this research was to investigate the flow pattern around a test room which is used for natural ventilation studies. The test cell effectively represents an in-fill development of a low-rise building located adjacent to high-rise buildings. When considering natural ventilation in a building in such a location it is beneficial to understand the local wind flow patterns resulting from the impact of the surrounding buildings on the prevailing wind conditions.