Laboratory Evaluation of Air Flow Measurement Methods for Residential HVAC Returns

Walker, Iain ; Stratton, Chris

关键词: Airflow measurement;    measurement standards;    residential return;    grille;    forced air;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1220523
RP-ID  :  LBNL--175528
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1220523
Others  :  Other: 7141

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

This project improved the accuracy of air flow measurements used in commissioning California heating and air conditioning systems in Title 24 (Building and Appliance Efficiency Standards), thereby improving system performance and efficiency of California residences. The research team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addressed the issue that typical tools used by contractors in the field to test air flows may not be accurate enough to measure return flows used in Title 24 applications. The team developed guidance on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future evaluations. The series of tests performed measured air flow using a range of techniques and devices. The measured air flows were compared to reference air flow measurements using inline air flow meters built into the test apparatus. The experimental results showed that some devices had reasonable results (typical errors of 5 percent or less) but others had much bigger errors (up to 25 percent).