The influence of tracer gases on the accuracy of interzonal airflow measurements.

This paper examines the influence of the tracer gas on the accuracy of the single tracer gas decay method for measurement of interzonal airflow. The use of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), nitrous oxide N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is examined for measurement of airflow between two tightly sealed chambers and these measurements are compared with measurements made using a calibrated flowmeter. Tracer gas measurements made using SF6 were found to be in closer agreement with flowmeter measurements than those made using N2O or CO2.