Building Wall Flow Stop to Reduce Radon Migration from Soil Air
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods and devices fail to effectively reduce radon levels in buildings, as radon gas penetrates through external walls due to thermal buoyancy and mechanical ventilation, leading to high heating costs and health risks, with existing solutions not addressing the root cause of radon migration through walls.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that utilize a 'flow stop' to prevent soil air from entering buildings by creating an obstacle to air movement in the external wall, separating radon-contaminated air from clean air, thereby reducing radon concentrations without increasing energy consumption or requiring constant fan operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If mechanical ventilation is used to extract radon from buildings, then radon levels are reduced, but heating costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention installs a radon barrier during the construction phase, before the building is occupied. This preliminary action prevents radon from entering the building through the foundation, eliminating the need for continuous mechanical ventilation and associated heating costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the radon prevention function from the ongoing ventilation system and implements it as a separate, passive barrier layer in the foundation. This separation allows radon to be blocked at the source without requiring active mechanical systems that consume energy.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If air circulation is increased to reduce radon from building materials, then radon levels are reduced, but investment costs and heating costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The radon barrier is installed during construction, addressing the radon prevention need before the building is occupied. This eliminates the requirement for complex high-capacity ventilation systems and associated infrastructure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If radon extraction devices are installed to suck radon from under concrete construction, then radon levels are reduced, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the radon prevention function from active extraction devices and implements it as a passive barrier layer integrated into the foundation structure. This eliminates the need for mechanical extraction equipment, fans, and control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The radon barrier provides automatic, passive protection without requiring operational intervention. The system serves itself by utilizing the physical properties of the barrier material to block radon migration, eliminating the need for powered extraction devices.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Drastically reduces radon levels in buildings by addressing the previously unrecognized source of radon penetration through external walls, eliminating the need for high heating costs and fan-powered ventilation systems, and providing a passive solution.
Implementation Method 1
thermal buoyancy (the so-called chimney effect) sucks radon gas into the construction
Implementation Method 2
When soil air moves in the direction of the least pressure
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for reducing a flow of soil air to the indoor air in a building (1), wherein the building comprises at least one wall (2), which wall comprises a permeable channel (23) connected with soil air, wherein the method comprises achieving a flow stop (24) for the soil air in the permeable channel (23). The invention also pertains to a device to reduce the flow of soil air to indoor air in a building (1).