A study was conducted to validate multizone airflow and contaminant migration simulation programs as they apply to the modeling of tall buildings. Tracer gas experiments were performed in a building on a university campus. The measured tracer gas concentrations from these tests were compared to those predicted by a simulation program. The airflow and contaminant migration program was found to be useful for examining general migration patterns of airflow and contaminants within tall buildings. However, the lack of accurate input parameters for the model limited the precision of the results obtained. Poor mixing of the tracer gases in the spaces also caused the measured and calculated tracer gas concentrations to vary significantly. Since most airflow and contaminant migration simulation programs do not have mixing models, it can be difficult to compare simulated results with tracer gas measurements taken in spaces that may not be at uniform concentrations.

Units: Dual