Air infiltration through building envelopes: A review

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chadi Younes ◽  
Caesar Abi Shdid ◽  
Girma Bitsuamlak
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Energy Costs ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Building Envelopes ◽  
Air Infiltration ◽  
Considerable Impact ◽  
Evaluation Techniques

Air leakage through the building envelope into the building interiors has a considerable impact on the energy loads and consequently energy demand and energy costs of buildings. This phenomenon known as infiltration happens through various openings and venues in the building envelope varying from large openings such as doors and windows to minute cracks and crevices. In addition to impacting building energy loads, infiltration impacts indoor air quality and can result in moisture accumulation problems in the building envelope. A generalized review of infiltration that includes evaluation techniques and models, quantification, and interaction with other heat transfer phenomena is presented in this article.

scholarly journals IMPLICATION OF INFILTRATION ON BUILDING ENERGY DEMAND - A REVIEW OF VERIFICATION METHODS

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nevena S. Lukić ◽  
Ljiljana Đukanovic ◽  
Ana Radivojević
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Verification Methods ◽  
Occupant Comfort ◽  
Standards And Regulations ◽  
Considerable Impact ◽  
Current Standards ◽  
The Eu

Infiltration has a considerable impact on both, energy efficiency and occupant comfort in buildings. Due to the complexity of the analysis of this phenomenon in buildings, the verification methods are very important for its diagnostics and evaluation. In this paper, the matter of infiltration in buildings is being considered referring to both, calculation models and methods, as well as through current standards and regulations in the EU and Serbia. Different valorization methods are presented and analyzed regarding their characteristics, applicability, and complexity. Finally, preliminary infiltration measurements with a pressurization test, conducted on selected buildings of Belgrade housing stock are presented and compared with values defined by the current regulations in Serbia. Results pointed out current problems and the need for improvements regarding the treatment of infiltration in local regulations and practice.

Thermal Bridges Minimizing through Typical Details in Low Energy Designing

2014 ◽  
Vol 899 ◽  
pp. 62-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rastislav Ingeli ◽  
Boris Vavrovič ◽  
Miroslav Čekon
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Thermal Insulation ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
Low Energy Buildings ◽  
Thermal Bridges ◽  
The Impact

Energy demand reduction in buildings is an important measure to achieve climate change mitigation. It is essential to minimize heat losses in designing phase in accordance of building energy efficiency. For building energy efficiency in a mild climate zone, a large part of the heating demand is caused by transmission losses through the building envelope. Building envelopes with high thermal resistance are typical for low-energy buildings in general. In this sense thermal bridges impact increases by using of greater thickness of thermal insulation. This paper is focused on thermal bridges minimizing through typical system details in buildings. The impact of thermal bridges was studied by comparative calculations for a case study of building with different amounts of thermal insulation. The calculated results represent a percentage distribution of heat loss through typical building components in correlation of various thicknesses of their thermal insulations.

scholarly journals Dynamic Adaptive Building Envelopes – an Innovative and State-of-The-Art Technology

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-183
Author(s):  
Sachin Harry
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
Building Envelopes ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Innovative Strategy ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Indoor Comfort

The building envelope has a key role to play in achieving indoor comfort for the occupants and building energy efficiency. A dynamic, active and integrated solution -- able to achieve the optimum thermal performance, harness energy from renewable resources and, integrate active elements and systems -- is the most promising and innovative strategy for the building envelope of tomorrow. To achieve an effective and sustainable building envelope with a dynamic behaviour, considerable efforts in research and development are necessary. This paper endeavours to present a broad review of design, research and development work in the field of Dynamic Adaptive Building Envelope (DABE). Based on detailed studies, the characteristic features, enabling technologies, and the overall motivations that have tendered to the advancement of DABE are discussed. In spite of its positive aspects, the study reveals that the concept of DABE has not yet been well-applied and needs much more exploration. Various challenges need to be resolved and advanced research undertaken to bring it to maturity and acceptance.

scholarly journals Mechanical characterization of a concrete masonry block enhanced with micro-encapsulated phase changing materials

2021 ◽  
Vol 2042 (1) ◽  
pp. 012184
Author(s):  
Talal Salem ◽  
Mohamad Kazma ◽  
Judy Bitar ◽  
Joseph Moussa ◽  
Dalia Falah
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Mechanical Characterization ◽  
Thermal Characterization ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Masonry Unit ◽  
Building Envelopes ◽  
Concrete Masonry ◽  
Concrete Mix

Abstract Global energy demand has been increasing exponentially in the last three decades, which has been exacerbated by climate change. To alleviate the energy load, researchers have been exploring innovative passive techniques to enhance the thermal performance of building envelopes. This research evaluates a novel building envelope solution, which includes the development of a Concrete Masonry Unit that is integrated with bio-based micro-encapsulated Phase Changing Materials. The mechanical behaviour of the enhanced CMU is investigated to study the applicability of PCMs into the no-slump concrete mix. Compatibility with the applicable standards opens a broader prospect for thermal characterization and building performance simulations of PCM enhanced CMU building envelopes.

scholarly journals Air leakage paths in buildings: Typical locations and implications for the air change rate

2020 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 05010
Author(s):  
Lars Gullbrekken ◽  
Nora Schjøth Bunkholt ◽  
Stig Geving ◽  
Petra Rüther
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
External Wall ◽  
Air Change Rate ◽  
Laboratory Investigations ◽  
High Standards ◽  
Energy Efficient Building

The harsh Norwegian climate requires buildings designed to high standards. An airtight building envelope is crucial to achieve an energy efficient building and to avoid moisture problems. Results from the SINTEF Building defects archive show that a considerable part of the building defects is related to air leakages. In addition, air leakages increase the energy demand of buildings. A literature study has been conducted in order to map typical air leakage paths of Norwegian wooden houses. In order to increase the performance, different sealing methods including the use of tape has been reviewed. The results show that the most common air leakages reported from field measurements in the literature are in the connections between external wall and ceiling or floor, external wall and window or door, and external wall and penetrations in the barrier layers. Results from laboratory investigations showed that the traditional solutions can be further improved by introduction of modern foil materials in combination with sealing tapes. However, questions can be raised regarding the necessity of tape sealing all available joints.

Comparison of Numerical HMT Codes to Simulate MBV Test of Hemp-Earth Composites

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Khaled ◽  
Marjorie Bart ◽  
Sophie Moissette ◽  
Florence Collet ◽  
Sylvie Prétot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Water Vapor Permeability ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Vapor Permeability ◽  
Building Envelopes ◽  
Classical Models ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
Adsorption Curve

Bio-based and earth materials are growingly used for the building envelopes because of their numerous benefits such as slight environmental impact, great hygrothermal performances, effective regulation of the perceived indoor air quality and human comfort. In such materials, the phenomenon of mass transfer is complex and has a great impact on the performance of building envelope. Therefore, it is important to identify and understand the hygrothermal phenomena to be able to simulate accurately the envelope behavior. Nevertheless, the classical models that depict hygric transport within building materials seem not accurate enough for bio-based materials as they are simplified on several points of view. The correlation that exists between water content and relative humidity is mostly simplified and is modeled by a single curve, the hygric storage capacity is often overstated and the hysteresis is neglected. This paper deals with numerical study of hygric transfer within hemp-earth building material by using WUFI® Pro 6.5, a commercial software, and TMC code developed at the LGCGM (Moissette and Bart, 2009) . This code was validated regarding EN 15026 standard (Moissette and Bart, 2009) and has evolved over the years by integrating the hysteresis phenomena (Aït-Oumeziane et al., 2015). Thus, a significant enhancement of the numerical simulations on desorption phase was shown. This study investigates the simulation of MBV test performed on a hemp-earth material for which only the adsorption curve is known as input. Missing parameters (water vapor permeability and desorption curve) are fitted considering the first cycle of MBV test with TMC code. Then, MBV test is simulated with WUFI® Pro 6.5 and TMC code without and with hysteresis. The results highlight the need to include hysteresis to accurately simulate dynamic hygric phenomena, and show that it is possible to find missing parameters by fitting dynamic solicitations.

Comparison of Blower Door and Tracer Gas Testing Methods for Determination of Air Infiltration Rates Through Building Envelopes at Normal Operating Conditions

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tapan Patel ◽  
Constandinos Mitsingas ◽  
James P. Miller ◽  
Ty A. Newell
Keyword(s):  
Building Envelope ◽  
Leakage Rate ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Tracer Gas ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Normal Operating ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
Air Infiltration ◽  
Air Leakage Rate

Tracer gas and blower door testing are two widely used methods to determine the rate of air infiltration through a building envelope. Blower door testing is performed at elevated pressure differentials across the building envelope whereas tracer gas testing is conducted at near zero differential pressures, better reflecting the air leakage rate at near normal building operating conditions. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether extrapolation of blower door test data to normal building operating conditions provides a good estimate of annual average air infiltration at those conditions. Two methods were used to extrapolate the data and were then compared to the baseline tracer gas tests. A secondary objective was to determine the ventilation rate of a residential facility using tracer gas tests. Tracer gas testing seems to be more reliable in determining the air leakage rate at normal operating pressures, but is sensitive to the tracer gas and ambient weather conditions. Regardless, for the subject facility, the ACH50/20 rule and Sherman’s ACH50/N correlation, extrapolated from the blower door tests, are within 6%–33% and 4%–38% of the tracer gas results, respectively. However, these errors are dependent on the assumptions used. Nevertheless, it appears that simple blower door testing can provide a reasonable measure of a building’s annual average air infiltration rate regardless of ambient conditions, whereas the more expensive and complex tracer gas tests may better reflect seasonal variations in air infiltration rates.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Effects of Strengthening Building Energy Policy on Multifamily Residential Buildings in South Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3566
Author(s):  
Byung Chang Kwag ◽  
Sanghee Han ◽  
Gil Tae Kim ◽  
Beobjeon Kim ◽  
Jong Yeob Kim
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Primary Energy Consumption

The purposes of this study were to overview the building-energy policy and regulations in South Korea to achieve energy-efficient multifamily residential buildings and analyze the effects of strengthening the building design requirements on their energy performances. The building energy demand intensity showed a linear relationship with the area-weighted average U-values of the building envelope. However, improving the thermal properties of the building envelope was limited to reducing the building-energy demand intensity. In this study, the effects of various energy conservation measures (ECMs) on the building-energy performance were compared. Among the various ECMs, improving the boiler efficiency was found to be the most efficient measure for reducing the building-energy consumption in comparison to other ECMs, whereas the building envelope showed the least impact, because the current U-values are low. However, in terms of the primary energy consumption, the most efficient ECM was the lighting power density because of the different energy sources used by various ECMs and the different conversion factors used to calculate the primary energy consumption based on the source type. This study showed a direction for updating the building-energy policy and regulations, as well as the potential of implementing ECMs, to improve the energy performances of Korean multifamily residential buildings.

scholarly journals Building indoor model in PALM-4U: indoor climate, energy demand, and the interaction between buildings and the urban microclimate

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 3511-3519
Author(s):  
Jens Pfafferott ◽  
Sascha Rißmann ◽  
Matthias Sühring ◽  
Farah Kanani-Sühring ◽  
Björn Maronga
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Internal Heat ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Indoor Climate ◽  
Urban Microclimate

Abstract. There is a strong interaction between the urban atmospheric canopy layer and the building energy balance. The urban atmospheric conditions affect the heat transfer through exterior walls, the long-wave heat transfer between the building surfaces and the surroundings, the short-wave solar heat gains, and the heat transport by ventilation. Considering also the internal heat gains and the heat capacity of the building structure, the energy demand for heating and cooling and the indoor thermal environment can be calculated based on the urban microclimatic conditions. According to the building energy concept, the energy demand results in an (anthropogenic) waste heat; this is directly transferred to the urban environment. Furthermore, the indoor temperature is re-coupled via the building envelope to the urban environment and affects indirectly the urban microclimate with a temporally lagged and damped temperature fluctuation. We developed a holistic building model for the combined calculation of indoor climate and energy demand based on an analytic solution of Fourier's equation and implemented this model into the PALM model.

scholarly journals Exploring Acoustical Approach for Pre-screening of Window Assemblies Airtightness Level in an Existing Building

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanam Pouyan
Keyword(s):  
Transmission Loss ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Air Permeability ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
Air Leakage ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
Air Infiltration ◽  
Building Enclosure ◽  
Window Systems

Air infiltration plays a significant role in designing and evaluating the performance and air quality of a building. Air leakage through an existing building enclosure can be detected by using experimental measurements, such as blower door test, tracer gas method, and transient approach. Estimating building air permeability through these methods can be expensive, time consuming, and weather reliant. The economical and environmental effect of air infiltration through building envelope requires higher level of research on locating air leakage locations and estimating air infiltration rate through new techniques, such as acoustical methods. In this research, a general review of airtightness detection and quantification method is presented and acoustical techniques are explored more in depth. Due to the significant impact of window systems on the total air infiltration through the building envelope, the correlation between the sound transmission loss and the air permeability through seven window assemblies in an existing building are explored to investigate acoustical method further. In addition, the acoustic air leakage detection method based on the standard ASTM E1186 is instigated. The results reveal the poor correlation between the airtightness of the windows and the acoustical analysis and investigations

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