Acoustic Building Infiltration Measurement System (ABIMS)

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ABIMS team member performs a microphone calibration.
Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory
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ABIMS team member fits an insert into the test chamber to simulate a façade leak.
Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory
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ABIMS team member runs the acoustic measurement from the labview interface.
Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory
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ABIMS team members set up an exterior microphone array measurement.
Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory

Lead Performer: Argonne National Laboratory - Lemont, IL
Partner: Illinois Institute of Technology - Chicago, IL
DOE Funding: $650,000
Cost Share: $34,000
Project Term: October 1, 2013 - June 30, 2016
Funding Opportunity Announcement: Building Technologies Innovations Program 2013 (DE-FOA-0000823)

Project Objective

This project is developing an acoustic method of measuring the infiltration of a building envelope. The Acoustic Building Infiltration Measurement System (ABIMS) overcomes many of the limitations of existing pressurization and tracer gas methods, including the need for completed building envelopes and the inherent size limitations of the pressurization test method. Current infiltration methodologies require a completed building enclosure for testing and are limited to small buildings because pressurization tests cannot be conducted on large buildings. ABIMS will enable infiltration measurement of all buildings. Testing for infiltration compliance could be added to building codes, increasing codes compliance rates and decreasing building energy use.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Karma Sawyer
Performer: Ralph Muehleisen, Argonne National Laboratory

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