NIST Multizone Modeling Website
Airflow Paths
An airflow path is a CONTAM building component through which air can move between two adjacent zones. These components can be cracks in the building envelope, open doorways, exhaust fans, etc. The air pressures in the adjacent zones and the flow characteristics of the flow path itself determine the flow through most of these paths. The location of the SketchPad icon that represents a flow path determines the two zones that are connected by a flow path. If the path icon is placed on a wall, it connects the zones on opposite sides of the wall. If it is placed in a blank cell of a zone (i.e. on the floor), it connects the zone containing the flow path icon to the zone located directly below the flow path icon. You can place airflow paths on the SketchPad, define their flow characteristics, move, copy, and delete them. You must provide each airflow path with specific information that describes its flow characteristics. Much of the information that describes the flow characteristics of airflow paths is contained in airflow elements that you must create when defining the airflow paths.
Airflow Elements
Each airflow path must refer to an airflow element. Airflow elements describe the mathematical relationship between the flow through an airflow path and the pressure drop across the path. ContamW provides you with several mathematical models or types to choose from. Each of these airflow element types is described in detail in the Airflow Path Properties section. While every airflow path must refer to a single airflow element, multiple paths can refer to the same airflow element. Airflow elements can also be stored within a CONTAM library file and shared between different CONTAM project files.
