
Leaks in the heat exchanger, as well as in the return air channel, were
detected with this measurement. Measurement in three other identical units
in the same office did not show any shortcut. However, measured outdoor
airflow rates were between 55 and 66 per cent of the design value.
Simple measurement using CO
2
from occupants
A special case is when only one tracer is injected in the ventilated space. This
could be the carbon dioxide emitted in the ventilated space by occupants.
That tracer gas is of great practical interest since it does not need any injection
system. In this case, Equation 2.33 can easily be solved. Assuming that there
is no inverse recirculation, and no leaks in the air handling unit, the global
recirculation rate is:
R ¼
Q
62
Q
12
þ Q
62
¼
C
3k
C
1k
C
4k
C
1k
ð2:55Þ
with
R ¼
TðP; 1Þ
ðC
4k
C
3k
Þ
2
ffiffiffiffiffi
f
R
p
ð2:56Þ
where
f
R
¼ðC
3k
C
4k
Þ
2
C
2
1k
þðC
4k
C
1k
Þ
2
C
2
3k
þðC
3k
C
1k
Þ
2
C
2
4k
And the equivalent outdoor airflow rate per occupant is:
Q
01
þ Q
04
N
persons
¼
0:018½m
3
=h
C
4k
C
0k
ð2:57Þ
assuming that a person exhales 18 l/h of carbon dioxide and that occupants
are the only indoor sources of CO
2
. Airflow rates are in m
3
/(h person) if
0
20
40
60
80
100
N
2
O [ppm]
C3: Supply ai
10:30 10:45 11:00
Time [h]
11:15 11:30
C4: Room air
C4¢: Exhaust
C6: Relief air
Figure 2.10 Concentrations at locations shown in Figure 2.5 resulting from
injection of SF
6
as tracer 1 and N
2
O as tracer 2 in a leaky air handling unit
Note: A shortcut through the heat exchanger dilutes exhaust air, thus decreasing the
relief air concentration. The presence of this tracer gas in supply air results from para-
sitic recirculation.
Source: Awbi, 2007.
34 Ventilation and Airflow in Buildings
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