Researchers create building air leakage detection system using a camera in real time

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a system that uses a camera to detect air leakage from buildings in real time.

This system could provide more accurate readings much faster than current diagnostic tools. Through a sequence of images, the system visualizes leaking air that is a different temperature than the surrounding air.

Researchers crafted algorithms that measure velocity and flow rate for real-time leak visualization. The system has been used successfully to detect air leakage through brick, vinyl siding, and concrete masonry blocks under sunny and cloudy conditions.

The research team is working to measure the amount of leakage occurring. This will allow building owners to better prioritize areas that most need sealing.

Architectural concrete as we know it today was invented in the 19th century. It reached new heights in the U.S. after World War II when mid-century modernism was in vogue, following in the footsteps of a European aesthetic that expressed structure and permanent surfaces through this exposed material. Concrete was treated as a monolithic miracle, waterproof and structurally and visually versatile.

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