Simplified modeling for infiltration and radon entry
Air leakage in the envelopes of residential buildings is the primary mechanism for provided ventilation to those buildings. For radon the same mechanisms that drive the ventilation, drive the radon entry This paper attempts to provide a simplified physical model that can be used to understand the interactions between the building leakage distribution, the forces that drive infiltration and ventilation, and indoor radon concentrations, Combining both ventilation and entry modeling together allows an estimation of Radon concentration and exposure to be made and demonstrates how changes in the envelope or ventilation system would affect it. This paper will develop simplified modeling approaches for estimating both ventilation rate and radon entry rate based on the air tightness of the envelope and the driving forces. These approaches will use conventional leakage values (i.e. effective leakage area ) to quantify the air tightness and include natural and mechanical driving forces. This paper will introduce a simplified parameter, the Radon Leakage Area, that quantifies the resistance to radon entry. To be practical for dwellings, modeling of the occupant exposures to indoor pollutants must be simple to use and not require unreasonable input data. This paper presents the derivation of the simplified physical model, and applies that model to representative situations to explore the tendencies to be expected under different circumstances.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 10159149
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-31305; CONF-921203-12; ON: DE93013902
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Thermal performance of the exterior envelopes of buildings,Clearwater, FL (United States),7-10 Dec 1992; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
RADON
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
AIR INFILTRATION
AIRTIGHTNESS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
VENTILATION
WIND
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
BASEMENTS
560101
990200
DOSIMETRY AND MONITORING
MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS