The Effect of Air leakage through the Air Cavities of Building Walls on Mold Growth Risks
Mold growth poses a high risk to a large number of existing buildings and their users. Air leakage through the air cavities of the building walls, herein gaps between walls and air conditioner pipes penetrating the walls, may increase the risks of interstitial condensation, mold growth and other moi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-03-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/5/1177 |
| _version_ | 1798005580411961344 |
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| author | Yonghui Li Xinyuan Dang Changchang Xia Yan Ma Daisuke Ogura Shuichi Hokoi |
| author_facet | Yonghui Li Xinyuan Dang Changchang Xia Yan Ma Daisuke Ogura Shuichi Hokoi |
| author_sort | Yonghui Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mold growth poses a high risk to a large number of existing buildings and their users. Air leakage through the air cavities of the building walls, herein gaps between walls and air conditioner pipes penetrating the walls, may increase the risks of interstitial condensation, mold growth and other moisture-related problems. In order to quantify the mold growth risks due to air leakage through air cavity, an office room in a historical masonry building in Nanjing, China, was selected, and its indoor environment has been studied. Fungi colonization can be seen on the surface of air conditioner pipes in the interior side near air cavity of the wall. Hygrothermometers and thermocouples logged interior and exterior temperature and relative humidity from June 2018 to January 2020. The measured data show that in summer the outdoor humidity remained much higher than that of the room, while the temperature near the air cavity stays lower than those of the other parts in the room. Hot and humid outdoor air may condense on the cold wall surface near an air cavity. A two-dimensional hygrothermal simulation was made. Air leakage through the air cavities of walls proved to be a crucial factor for mold growth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:41:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e948102aba774c40a2ad2768b1278579 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:41:30Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-e948102aba774c40a2ad2768b12785792022-12-22T04:23:28ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-03-01135117710.3390/en13051177en13051177The Effect of Air leakage through the Air Cavities of Building Walls on Mold Growth RisksYonghui Li0Xinyuan Dang1Changchang Xia2Yan Ma3Daisuke Ogura4Shuichi Hokoi5School of Architecture, Southeast University, #2 Sipailou, Xuanwu District, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu Province, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Southeast University, #2 Sipailou, Xuanwu District, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu Province, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Southeast University, #2 Sipailou, Xuanwu District, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu Province, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Southeast University, #2 Sipailou, Xuanwu District, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu Province, ChinaDepartment of Architecture and Architectural Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyotodaigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 6158540, JapanSchool of Architecture, Southeast University, #2 Sipailou, Xuanwu District, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu Province, ChinaMold growth poses a high risk to a large number of existing buildings and their users. Air leakage through the air cavities of the building walls, herein gaps between walls and air conditioner pipes penetrating the walls, may increase the risks of interstitial condensation, mold growth and other moisture-related problems. In order to quantify the mold growth risks due to air leakage through air cavity, an office room in a historical masonry building in Nanjing, China, was selected, and its indoor environment has been studied. Fungi colonization can be seen on the surface of air conditioner pipes in the interior side near air cavity of the wall. Hygrothermometers and thermocouples logged interior and exterior temperature and relative humidity from June 2018 to January 2020. The measured data show that in summer the outdoor humidity remained much higher than that of the room, while the temperature near the air cavity stays lower than those of the other parts in the room. Hot and humid outdoor air may condense on the cold wall surface near an air cavity. A two-dimensional hygrothermal simulation was made. Air leakage through the air cavities of walls proved to be a crucial factor for mold growth.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/5/1177building wallsair cavitysummer condensationmold growth risksair-conditioner |
| spellingShingle | Yonghui Li Xinyuan Dang Changchang Xia Yan Ma Daisuke Ogura Shuichi Hokoi The Effect of Air leakage through the Air Cavities of Building Walls on Mold Growth Risks Energies building walls air cavity summer condensation mold growth risks air-conditioner |
| title | The Effect of Air leakage through the Air Cavities of Building Walls on Mold Growth Risks |
| title_full | The Effect of Air leakage through the Air Cavities of Building Walls on Mold Growth Risks |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of Air leakage through the Air Cavities of Building Walls on Mold Growth Risks |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of Air leakage through the Air Cavities of Building Walls on Mold Growth Risks |
| title_short | The Effect of Air leakage through the Air Cavities of Building Walls on Mold Growth Risks |
| title_sort | effect of air leakage through the air cavities of building walls on mold growth risks |
| topic | building walls air cavity summer condensation mold growth risks air-conditioner |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/5/1177 |
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