Outdoor Airflow Monitoring
Today’s high-performance buildings must be able to maximize energy efficiency and building health while minimizing costs and emissions. To accomplish these goals, a specific level of outside air must be brought into a commercial building’s HVAC system. However, environmental conditions, such as wind gusts, humidity, and airborne particulates, pose challenges to outside airflow measurement. Air Monitor’s OAM II airflow measurement solution is specifically designed to provide accurate measurement for this demanding application.
Air Monitor Solutions Can Help
Precisely Control Outdoor Air Intake
While COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, maintaining indoor air quality is still essential for human health and comfort. HVAC systems need accurate outdoor airflow measurement solutions to ensure a balanced amount of fresh air intake.Maintain Building Health and Safety
Accurate outdoor airflow monitoring allows the correct amount of outside airflow into the building for building health and safety. This enables the HVAC system to avoid condensation or mold from too much moisture, while also preventing static shock in dry conditions.Comply with Building Codes/Standards
Using direct measurements of outside airflow ensures that building codes are up to date and comply with the latest ventilation rate standards from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).OAM II Outdoor Airflow Measurement System & Airflow Station
Outdoor air measurement is challenging due to real-world environmental conditions. Variable airflow velocities, rain or snow, dust, and debris can impact measurements, depending on the technology used.
Air Monitor’s OAM II Outdoor Airflow Measurement System consists of the OAM II Transmitter with a built-in barometric pressure sensor, one or more uni-sensors or OAM II airflow measuring stations, and one or two temperature sensors. The system has been designed to measure the actual airflow rate to within ±5% by measuring the differential pressure across a fixed inlet, such as a louver, screen, or layer of expanded metal. The OAM II measurement accuracy has been validated by Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA), an accredited 3rd party verification facility.
The patent-pending design of the Air Monitor OAM II is unaffected by wind, debris, and moisture. The system complies with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality. This standard calls for specific minimum outdoor airflow ventilation into the building to ensure healthy occupancy.
More About Accurate Outdoor Airflow Monitoring
In addition to difficult real-world conditions, accurate outdoor airflow measurement can be affected by the limited straight runs available to condition the airflow before measurement.
Newer buildings often install an economizer inlet recirculating conditioned air to help meet energy efficiency goals. Combining the economizer with the main inlet can lead to very low flow velocities. All of these issues directly affect measurement accuracy and reliability.
The most accurate method for measuring outside airflow uses static pressure field measurements along with temperature, barometric pressure, and inlet size, to calculate the flow rate at any atmospheric condition. The Air Monitor OAM II Outdoor Airflow Measurement System uses this method, which does not depend on long straight runs to condition the airflow to measure accurately.
