Development and Validation of a New Field Measurement Technique for Estimating the Local and Total Air Duct Leakage in Residential Buildings
Publication: Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 3
Abstract
The paper proposes a new measurement technique for estimating the local and total leakage rates in typical residential buildings. It is based on the duct pressurization technique in which the duct system is pressurized by using a calibrated fan while all registers are sealed off. It also includes a zone bag that can be inserted inside the duct system to create an artificial partial restriction and consequently different levels of leak pressures and flows. An experimental facility Air Duct Leakage Laboratory (ADLL) has been established, which has two different air duct configurations and a wide range of known leakage levels controlled by holes created at several locations of ductwork. The proposed technique has been validated by experiments at the ADLL. The validation results indicated that the proposed technique could be a good method for accurately estimating the total and local leakages and provides a great opportunity to focus on right locations to repair and to provide accurate information if the duct repair is cost effective.
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Acknowledgments
The writers acknowledge the financial support of the National Center for Energy Management and Building Technologies (NCEMBT) through funding from the U.S. DOE under Cooperative Agreement No. DOEDE-FC26-03GO13072.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 134 • Issue 3 • September 2008
Pages: 87 - 94
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 6, 2007
Accepted: Apr 15, 2008
Published online: Sep 1, 2008
Published in print: Sep 2008
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