A collaborative project is underway to improve portable air scanning equipment.
Coltraco Ultrasonics has teamed up with building performance experts at Leeds Beckett University to develop an improved version of its Portascanner.
The Portascanner is a handheld device that uses ultrasound to find and quantify air leakage. Built environment professionals can use it in new and existing buildings and post or pre-renovation.
The collaboration will also develop a best practice approach when using the device, and measure its accuracy compared to other methodologies, such as blower door fans.
Improvements will include adding a wireless sensor and developing a mount for a geostationary drone to hold the generator on external structures of tall buildings.
The project is being funded by the government through Innovate UK.
Professor of building performance evaluation, Dr David Johnston, said: “The airtightness performance of building fabric can have a significant impact on energy use and CO2 emissions.
“Therefore, it is important to develop low-cost tools that are capable of rapidly assessing and quantifying the airtightness performance of a building, providing an alternative to existing methods of testing airtightness.
“All of these tools will be important in helping the UK meet its net-zero obligations.”
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