Air Tightness Test Research Articles

施設の気密仕様に応じた気密試験方法の選択に関する研究 （第1報）高気密室における3種類の試験方法の比較

施設の気密仕様に応じた気密試験方法の選択に関する研究 （第1報）高気密室における3種類の試験方法の比較

‘Hitting the target and missing the point’: Analysis of air permeability data for new UK dwellings and what it reveals about the testing procedure

Airtightness testing is widely undertaken to assess the as-built performance of dwellings, in support of achieving energy and ventilation strategies. Mandatory schemes operate in some countries, such as the UK, to ensure that dwellings are built in accordance with their design air permeability. However, testing is only useful if the results give a true picture of the airtightness of the building. Previous literature has investigated factors which could influence airtightness test results but has not questioned data quality, despite the pressure on builders to achieve design targets. This paper presents air permeability results from the largest UK dataset, comprising 144,024 dwellings tested under the Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association (ATTMA) scheme. The data show an unexpected distribution of test results with narrow peaks just within test targets. Such results were not expected theoretically but do reflect findings in other fields where performance-based targets are in place. Such a close match between design and tested airtightness may be achieved by remedial works taking place during the test rather than afterwards. Recommendations are made with respect to quality assurance systems, design guidance and on-site sealing practices to increase the likelihood of long-term airtight buildings being constructed first time.

Experimental study on airtightness test methods in large buildings; proposal of averaging pressure difference method

Airtightness measurement standards using the fan pressurization method are widely used for measuring residential units such as detached houses and apartment units. The measurement of airtightness for small buildings can be readily conducted through existing fan pressurization methods. However, it can be difficult to achieve accurate measurement results for large buildings, as the height and volume of the buildings are considerably increased. This paper empirically investigates factors that are to be considered in regard to airflow rate (Q) and pressure difference (ΔP), which are measurement values required for deriving more accurate airtightness values for large buildings. The specifications of the standards ISO 9972, EN 13829, ASTM E779, JIS A 2201, ATTMA TS 1, and CAN/CGSB 149.15 relating to Q and △P are compared. Test conditions with respect to Q and △P are discussed for large building airtightness measurements. In measuring airtightness, a method is proposed in which the pressure difference at each floor of the building is measured and an average pressure difference value is used. Experiments were conducted on two multi-story office buildings using the method based on measuring pressure difference according to existing standards in tandem with the proposed pressure difference measurement method. The results of the experimental study show that the vertical pressure distribution across the overall building envelope can be significantly different when a building is pressurized. The airtightness values may also be different according to the measurement methods. This paper demonstrates how important it is to derive accurate △P values in measuring large building airtightness.

Design of a new type of mine rescue relay cabin

This paper presents the design of an innovative mine emergency rescue relay cabin, and investigates a detailed comparison of existing shelter facilities, their function, service object, structures, size, and system components with the newly designed mine emergency rescue relay cabin. Air-tightness test indicated a test chamber relief rate of 26Pa/min, which meets the design requirements. Furthermore, respirator replacement test showed an average time of 73.7s to replace a respirator. The air cover air supply test indicated an air supply rate of 220L/min, which is sufficient for the staff replacing the respirator in the emergency rescue relay cabin. The total air supply volume is 9680L, which can be supplied via two compressed air cylinders of 40L, pressurized to15MPa.

Air-tightness test and air infiltration estimation of an ultra-low energy building

The air-tightness performance of residential buildings in China is not fully investigated. This study intends to investigate the air-tightness performance of an ultra-low energy building in a cold area of China. The air-tightness of the building envelope was measured using blower door method and the whole year air infiltration of the building was simulated by a multi-zone network airflow model based on the air-tightness test results. A thermal infrared imager and a smoke pencil were used to find out the typical air leakage places in the building envelope. The leakage areas of the typical air leakage places are found by measuring the whole building and then sealing the corresponding component and determining the reduction in the building effective leakage area. Test results show that the air change rates of the building at the pressure difference of 50 Pa (ACH50) under the depressurization and pressurization modes are 0.5 and 0.49 h−1, respectively. Simulations show that the air change rate of building under the weather conditions of Dalian changes from 0 to 0.12 h−1 with an average of 0.05 h−1. The typical air leakage places of the building were the reserved holes in the building envelope, the junctions of the windows with the walls, the deformation parts of the outer windows and doors, and the joints and vents that imprecisely sealed. The exhaust vents were found to be the most significant source of leakage among the tested typical air leakage places.

施設の気密仕様に応じた気密試験方法の選択に関する研究 （第2報）施設の気密性が各試験方法の結果に及ぼす影響

施設の気密仕様に応じた気密試験方法の選択に関する研究 （第2報）施設の気密性が各試験方法の結果に及ぼす影響

Air Tightness Test System for Electric Pneumatic Valve Based on Differential Pressure Method

Air tightness test is a necessary step in the performance test of electric pneumatic valves. Traditional air tightness test method cannot provide quantitative description of leakage rate, which results in the lack of theoretical data for the reproduction of electric pneumatic valves. In order to solve the problem, differential pressure method to realize the quantitative requirements of air tightness test of electric pneumatic valves is proposed. (Peng et al., 2008) The paper attempts to figure out the relationship between the leakage rate and the differential pressure in ways of modelling analysis. Furthermore, it designs an air tightness test system of electric pneumatic valves based on differential pressure method using MSP430 as controlling core. On the basis of this system, the hardware platform of pneumatic circuit and drive control is constructed. System integration and test is conducted with the use of software. The test proves that this system can realize quantitative description based on qualitative description for testing leakage rate. The automated air tightness test has advantages of low power consumption, quick testing process and stable system. The practicability of this method is obvious.

Development of concepts for cost-optimal nearly zero-energy buildings for the industrial steel building sector

After 2020, all new buildings in Europe must be built as “nearly zero-energy buildings” (NZEB). For residential and certain commercial building types, significant experience in both research and practice is already available for such ambitious building standards. However, for industrial buildings, such as warehouses and production buildings, NZEB is still a new field. To date findings for residential and office buildings are often used to define standards for the entire building sector. However, industrial buildings have completely different thermal behavior due to their different building shapes, materials, interior temperatures, usage times and internal gains from processes and machines. Therefore, new concepts are required for nearly zero-energy industrial buildings.In this research, such concepts were developed based on large parametric studies simulating more than 1800 different variations in a building simulation model coupled with a 3D transient finite difference ground model and an air-flow network simulation. To gain the required input data for the air infiltration simulation, extensive leakage measurements in a therefore built air-tightness test stand were conducted.According to the EU directive stipulating the NZEB standard, NZEBs have to be cost-optimal. Thus, the focus of this work was on developing cost-optimal solutions to meet the NZEB standard. The results are building concepts for warehouses and production buildings that have 50–75% lower heat energy demand than current (2015) building standards in Germany. These heat energy savings are primarily achieved by increased air tightness, decreased thermal bridges, optimized floor slab insulation and solar optimization. Significantly increased insulation thicknesses are only cost-effective for industrial buildings with low internal gains but relatively high interior temperatures. Previous standards almost exclusively concentrated on increasing the thermal insulation, while the other parameters were often neglected.

The Test and Analysis of Air Tightness for Zero Energy Building in Cold Region

The window is an important retaining structure. The gap of doors and windows cooling is an important part of building energy consumption of heating. A window with high quality and advanced construction technology can greatly enhance the air tightness of retaining structure. The experiment is air tightness test based on an energy-saving windows in a zero energy building in the cold region. After the test and analyzes on the windows, the air tightness of windows reached level 8 standard prescribed by “GB/T 7106-2008 Graduations and test methods of air permeability, water tightness, wind load resistance performance for building external windows and doors.

Application of hydro-mechanical coupling analysis method on the air-tightness test of unlined rock cavern

Application of hydro-mechanical coupling analysis method on the air-tightness test of unlined rock cavern

Air-tightness test for Kurashiki underground LPG stockpiling facilities

Air-tightness test for Kurashiki underground LPG stockpiling facilities

Air infiltration assessment for industrial buildings

This work focuses on air-tightness and air-infiltration of industrial buildings of light steel structure. Extensive measurements of leakages in typical building components and connections in industrial buildings were carried out in a specially built air-tightness test stand. Typical leakages were detected and reduced. Measurements of the volumetric flow through single leakages were compared to results of blower door tests of large industrial buildings. The measurement data gained in the test stand was further used for transient air-flow network simulations coupled with the software TRNSYS. Based on a database of more than 4000 industrial buildings, 28 typical building shapes were defined and different inside temperature profiles were assumed. Each building was modeled and simulated with up to 84 defined cracks. The cracks were based on the measurements in the test stand and represent a typical leakage distribution of industrial steel buildings. In total 140 different simulations were used to create a new infiltration model. This model provides monthly coefficients that consider the seasonal cycle during the year as well as the building height, size and inside temperature. This new model is easy to implement in energy balance calculations and helps determining energy demands even with steady state methods with greater precision.

Application of neural networks in predicting airtightness of residential units

The paper describes the need to investigate airtightness of existing residential units in order to achieve adequate energy efficiency. There is a brief explanation of the blower door method used in field testing of airtightness in residential units. The mentioned method was used to create a database of airtightness test results obtained in situ at 58 residential units in the local area. The analysis of the results of these measurements indicates that there are four input parameters, which had been previously investigated and evaluated, that had a dominant effect on the test results. The examining of the possibility of successfully predicting airtightness was conducted by applying neural networks. The response results indicate that there is potential for successful prediction of airtightness, which was confirmed by independent validation through 20 additional measurements. In order to be able to generalize the results, further research needs to be conducted, using a bigger sample of measured data, and additional configurations of neural networks need to be examined.

Modeling of Thermoacoustic Frequency Characteristics for the Air-Tightness Test Method

This paper is a description of theoretical models applied for the numerical interpretation of the experimental amplitude and phase frequency thermoacoustic characteristics observed for the transistor’s packaging TO-39 with model holes of known radii in the packaging. They are essential from the point of view of determination of the sensitivity of the thermoacoustic method applied for the measurements of the air-tightness of packagings of electronic elements. In this paper, two models of the thermoacoustic signal are described, which are based on a transformation of the thermoacoustic effect to an electrical circuit: CRC and CRLC. Additionally, a method of extraction of the signal, coming from the hole in the packaging, from the total thermoacoustic signal, of the TO-39 packaging, is presented and discussed. The limitation of this method of detection of the air-tightness, caused by the thermoacoustic signal of the air-tight packaging, is also discussed.

Ground Simulation Method for Envelope Performance of Airship in near Space

Performing characteristics on envelope composite of near space airship (NSA) are quite different from that of the low altitude airship essentially. The NSA envelope material should meet excellent applicative characteristics including light weight, high strength, anti-aging, anti-ultraviolet radiation, gas-tightness, weather resistance. Ground simulation test is critical for the envelope design and development process of NSA, and the environmental features of near space is analyzed for NSA, then corresponding ground simulation test methods are proposed to involve mechanical strength of the ground test methods among the changing weather temperature and over pressure changes, materials weather resistance and air tightness test. Finally the coupling relationship between various mechanical test and environmental test methods is also investigated.

Investigation of Morphology and Electrical Properties of Contact Materials after Airtightness Test

In this article, the corrosion behavior of the gold plating and the silver plating specimens are studied. It is found that the airtightness have effects on the contact properties of the different plating specimens. The surface morphology of specimens is observed by stereoscopic microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Chemical constitution was examined by X-ray energy spectrum. The contact resistances were measured by four-point method. The experiment results show that the corrosion appearance of the silver plating is severer than that of the gold plating one after airtightness test. The corrosion degree of plating specimens decreased with the increase of the coatings thickness. The static contact resistances of corrosive spots appear higher contact resistance than normal value. It is found the high and unstable contact resistance of the corrosion products is more likely to cause contact failure. The influencing factor of the corrosion products with different plating has an important influence on the airtightness test and the contact failure of electric connector.

신축 공동주택의 누기특성 및 기밀성능 분석에 관한 연구

In responding to the recent framework convention on climate change, and the rise of the need for energy efficient buildings, such as Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB), domestic insulation standards and energy conservation regulations are being reinforced, to prevent heat loss. Accordingly, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have made amendments in Chapter 21 "Enforcement regulations for building facilities standards etc.", and Chapter 22 "Energy conservation standard", to reflect these changes. To effectively implement these regulations, it is required to propose air-tightness test methods, and establish air-tightness standards, based on the air leakage characteristics of domestic apartment housings. This research has been done primarily to collect basic technical data, to provide guidance for the establishment of domestic air-tightness standards for new apartment housing, through studying air-tightness test methods, field measurement on air-tightness of new apartment housings, and air leakage characteristics of major developed countries.

Estimation of Air-Handler Fan Pressurization Test Applicability Based on the Field Measurement of Envelope Leakage

This research is a case study performing the air-handler fan pressurization test in two office building. The test has been following the existing test standard(i.e. ASTM E779-10, CAN/CGSB-149.15-96 Standard). The test building is a 5-story office with a square() footprint built in 2001 at Daejeon. Another test building is a 12-story offce building with a square() at Seoul. Before the test, the standards about air leakage test is analyzed. Then, the pressure difference measurement is apply to ASTM standard. To measure the whole building envelope leakage, the air-handler units operated at the 100% outdoor air mode with closed RA dampers, EA dampers. This results is represent to ACH50, ELA, EqLA compared to other standards. This paper provides some practical information acquired in the field measurement of air tightness test using the established air-handler fan pressurization test method.

The Air Tightness Test Method of the High Speed Train

The tightness of interior space in condition of a high speed train with its side door, side window closed called train air-tightness. The paper introduces the air tightness of the high speed train and the basic methods for air tightness testing. It also applies a constant pressure leak model to test and points out that the importance of air tightness for high speed train.

Technical note: Airtightness of older-generation energy-efficient houses in Saskatoon

The aim of this study was to collect long-term in-service energy efficiency data from older-generation energy-efficient houses built in Canada in the past decades. Six houses with highly insulated building envelope assemblies built (or retrofitted) from 1979 to 1992 in the Saskatoon area were inspected during March 2012. As typical energy-efficient houses for this area, all were built with double 2 × 4 stud walls with the gap between walls ranging from 4 to about 12 in and with nominal wall insulation varying from RSI * 6.34 (R* 36) to RSI 10.57 (R 60). The roof insulation ranged from RSI 10.57 (R 60) to RSI 14.09 (R 80). The below-grade walls were also well insulated, and these were mainly permanent wood foundations. Polyethylene was used as a combined air barrier and vapour barrier for the building envelopes. The major results included the following: the airtightness values based on blower-door tests ranged from 0.78 to 2.55 air changes per hour at 50 Pa measured under normal operation conditions, with four houses below 1.50 air changes per hour at 50 Pa after 20–30 years. The No. 2 house had an original airtightness of 0.29 air changes per hour at 50 Pa and 0.22 air changes per hour when the windows were sealed with masking tape after the energy retrofit in 1982. The airtightness was measured to be 1.23 air changes per hour at 50 Pa in this survey after the owner installed new windows without properly sealing the interior air barrier. The No. 4 house had an airtightness of 0.78 air changes per hour, while the original airtightness test was 0.47 air changes per hour when the house was built over 20 years ago. All the six houses had EnerGuide Rating System of over 80, and one had a remarkable EnerGuide Rating System of 87. Windows and ventilation air were identified to be the largest heat loss components, followed by basement and exterior walls.