Air infiltration has a significant impact on the heating and cooling loads of small office and residential buildings. In a radiantly heated and cooled office, air infiltration normally determines whether this type of system can operate without condensation on the radiant cooling surface in summer in mild and humid climatic conditions, because infiltration may bring considerable moisture into the space. The office studied experiences infiltration that seriously limits the effectiveness of the radiant cooling system and active desiccant dehumidification system. Earlier infiltration measurements using the tracer gas procedure showed infiltration levels of 0.7-1.12 ACH, while CO2 concentration measurements gave values from 0.1-0.2 ACH. This paper reports the results of infiltration levels determined from blower door measurements and logged humidity data from the ventilation unit as well as a reanalysis of the CO2 data. There were still significant discrepancies that are resolved by combining the measured results with a calibrated simulation and additional site measurements. It is found that infiltration in the studied office is from two sources: one is outdoor air; the other is the indoor air from the floor below the studied office. The total air infiltration for the studied space may vary from 0.74 ACH in the summer to 1.5 ACH in the winter, while the air leaking into the studied office from the space under the floor may range from 0.46-1.03 ACH.
Units: Dual
Citation: ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 116, pt. 1, Orlando 2010
Product Details
- Published:
- 2010
- Number of Pages:
- 10
- File Size:
- 1 file , 920 KB
- Product Code(s):
- D-OR-10-047
