Moisture balance and tracer gas technique for ventilation rates measurement and greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions quantification in naturally ventilated buildings

• Published in: Building and environment Vol. 50; pp. 10 - 20
• Main Authors: SAMER, M, AMMON, C, LOEBSIN, C, FIEDLER, M, BERG, W, SANFTLEBEN, P, BRUNSCH, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier 01-04-2012
• Subjects: Agricultural facility (building and storage); Applied sciences; Building technical equipments; Buildings; Buildings. Public works; Computation methods. Tables. Charts; Energy management and energy conservation in building; Environmental engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Moisture; Nitrous oxides; Seasons; Structural analysis. Stresses; Summer; Tracer gas; Types of buildings; Ventilation; Winter; Moisture balance; Tracer technique; Tracer gas technique; Gaseous emissions; Statistical analysis; Gas emission; Carbon dioxide; Moisture (H; Climatic engineering; Livestock buildings; Livestock farm; CO; Modeling; Natural ventilation; Ammonia; Air flow; balance; Greenhouse gas; Environment impact; O) balance; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2011.10.008

Experiments were performed to study the ventilation rates in a naturally ventilated animal building through four summer seasons and three winter seasons. The ventilation rates were determined using moisture (H2O) balance, tracer gas technique (TGT) and CO2-balance. The statistical analyses were correlation analysis, regression model and t-test. Continuous measurements of gaseous concentrations (NH3, CH4, CO2 and N2O), temperature and relative humidity inside and outside the building were performed. The H2O-balance showed reliable results through winter seasons and acceptable results to some extent through summer seasons. The CO2-balance showed unexpected high differences to the other methods in some cases. The TGT showed reliable results compared to H2O-balance and CO2-balance. The air exchange rates (AERs) were 37.2, 61.6 and 63 h-1 through summer seasons, and 40.3, 38.9 and 60.5 h-1 through winter seasons subject to H2O-balance, TGT and CO2-balance, respectively. The emission rates through summer seasons, subject to TGT, were 191, 855, 73,877 and 45.6 g d-1 AU-1; and through winter seasons were 88, 463, 55,976 and 47.3 g d-1 AU-1, for NH3, CH4, CO2 and N2O, respectively.