Aerosol Duct Sealing Technology

The aerosol duct sealing technology was invented and developed by the Energy Performance of Buildings Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1994. This technology internally seals leaks in air distribution ducts by injecting a fog of aerosolized sealant particles into a pressurized duct system. The key to the technology is to keep the particles suspended within the air stream without depositing on the duct surfaces until they reach the leaks, where they leave the air stream, deposit at the leak edges, and seal the leaks. Aerosol particles are directed toward and deposit at the leaks because:

All supply and return grilles are temporarily sealed, so that all the airflow passes through the leaks;
Small aerosol particles are kept suspended in the airflow by continuous air movement;
As the air stream makes a sharp turn to exit through a leak, the particles collide with and adhere to the leak edges; and
Using adhesive solid particles allows the built-up seal to span leaks as much as one inch across.

Advantages of Aerosol Duct Sealing

Aerosol sealing improves upon conventional duct-leak sealing methods because it:

Seals more of the leakage by getting to inaccessible leaks;
Provides better working conditions so that workers do not have to spend a long time in the attic or crawl space to perform the sealing; and
Is less time consuming to carry out and is less costly to homeowners.

Commercialization of the Technology

Carrier Aeroseal, LLC has the exclusive license to use this technology on residential and small commercial buildings. Please visit LBNL Technology Transfer Department for licensing information about:

Mobile Aerosol-Sealant Injection System (MASIS), which is the latest development of the technology for large commercial buildings; and
Induced-Cooling Pneumatic Atomizer, which is a clog-resistant two-fluid nozzle for generating aerosol particles.

Occupant Benefits

Sealing duct leaks reduces heating and cooling energy use by up to 30 percent and annual utility bill savings of up to $300.
Duct sealing reduces the entry of:

Dust
Excess humidity
Automotive exhaust
Radon gas
Fumes from stored paints, solvents, pesticides, etc.

Duct sealing improves the performance of heating and cooling systems, making you more comfortable by:

Cooling or heating the house more quickly
Delivering more hot or cold air
Distributing heating and cooling more uniformly throughout your house

National Impacts

Each year, U.S. residential duct leakage costs consumers $5 billion. This energy loss is equivalent to:

The annual oil production from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The annual energy consumption of 13 million cars

The Carbon dioxide uptake of 7 billion trees is needed to offset the global warming impacts of this energy waste.

Publications

Click here for publications.

Who Supports the Research?

Research to develop this technology was funded by:

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