scholarly journals Energy performance analysis of smart wall system with switchable insulation and thermal storage capacity

2021 ◽  
Vol 2069 (1) ◽  
pp. 012092
Author(s):  
Emishaw Iffa ◽  
Mikael Salonvaara ◽  
Diana Hun

Abstract The ever-increasing global energy demand and the issues caused by population growth and unsustainable energy resource usages have several environmental and economic impacts. The on-demand capability of dynamic wall systems with switchable insulation systems can contribute toward energy efficiency and reduced electric cost using “building-as-a-battery.” In this paper, the performance of an exterior envelope system that employs a switchable insulation system is investigated. A COMSOL simulation was used to study the envelope performance under three switchable insulation locations in the wall system. The on and off switching cycle included insulating or conducting the exterior, interior, or both sides of the mass wall system. To validate the simulation work, an experimental test was conducted in climate chamber on a 4 × 8 in. wall system with identical wall components used in the COMSOL simulation. Results show a good agreement between the experiment and simulation results. The wall system with switchable insulation placed on the exterior side provided the highest interior inward heat flux when compared with the interior or split insulation. Also, an exterior switchable insulation system in addition to a thermal mass maintained a positive heat flow for more hours when the outdoor temperature was lower than the interior temperature.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 6068
Author(s):  
Remy Carlier ◽  
Mohammad Dabbagh ◽  
Moncef Krarti

This paper evaluates the potential energy savings when switchable insulation systems (SIS) are applied to walls of residential buildings located in Belgium and other locations in Europe. The study considers two low-energy prototypical dwellings (an apartment and a detached house) that are representative of post-2010 constructions and renovations in Belgium. Using an 3R2C-based analysis tool, the performance of both dwellings is evaluated with static and dynamic wall insulation systems. First, the switchable insulating system is described along with its associated simple 2-step rule-based control strategy. Then the modeling strategy and simulation analysis tools are presented. In Belgium, it was found that SIS-integrated walls allow energy savings up to 3.7% for space heating and up to 98% for cooling. Moreover, it was found that to further reduce the energy consumption of SIS-integrated buildings in various European climates, thermal mass placement needs to be considered. By optimizing the placement and the parameters of the various wall layers, it is possible to increase the space heating savings by up to a factor of 4 and those of cooling by up to a factor of 2.5.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 733-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge S. Carlos

The aim of this paper is focused on the energy performance of buildings containing massive wall alternatives. The analysis comprised the comparison of the heating and cooling loads of seven characteristic wall configurations of one sample building with different dynamic internal heat capacity (ISO 13790:2008) in spite of the equal thermal resistance. The equal thermal resistance, as derived from simple steady-state condition, was imposed in order to allow research of effects solely attributed to the wall heat capacity on the building performance. A detached one floor dwelling exposed to different climate conditions in Portugal was analysed to illustrate the effect of the same wall in terms of energy demand during cold and hot weather conditions. A whole building dynamic modelling using EnergyPlus was employed for the energy analysis. The best thermal performance was obtained with massive walls that were located at the inner side, for a very heavy weight building and high building time constant.


2014 ◽  
Vol 525 ◽  
pp. 443-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumin Kim ◽  
Ho Yeol Lee ◽  
Yong Jun Lee ◽  
Gyeong Seok Choi ◽  
Jae Sik Kang

It is essential to eliminate heat loss through the building envelope to reduce the energy consumption in buildings. However a significant loss of heating energy caused by thermal bridge between slab and external wall in internal insulation systems which were applied in the most apartments in Korea. To improve the performance of envelope, a sandwich insulation system was proposed. This paper evaluates the thermal performance, energy performance and economic efficiency of sandwich insulation system by comparing with internal insulation system. When the sandwich insulation system was applied, heating energy consumption was reduced by 17.8% compared with internal insulation system.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xichuan Liu ◽  
Taichang Gao ◽  
Yuntao Hu ◽  
Xiaojian Shu

In order to improve the measurement of precipitation microphysical characteristics sensor (PMCS), the sampling process of raindrops by PMCS based on a particle-by-particle Monte-Carlo model was simulated to discuss the effect of different bin sizes on DSD measurement, and the optimum sampling bin sizes for PMCS were proposed based on the simulation results. The simulation results of five sampling schemes of bin sizes in four rain-rate categories show that the raw capture DSD has a significant fluctuation variation influenced by the capture probability, whereas the appropriate sampling bin size and width can reduce the impact of variation of raindrop number on DSD shape. A field measurement of a PMCS, an OTT PARSIVEL disdrometer, and a tipping bucket rain Gauge shows that the rain-rate and rainfall accumulations have good consistencies between PMCS, OTT, and Gauge; the DSD obtained by PMCS and OTT has a good agreement; the probability of N0, μ, and Λ shows that there is a good agreement between the Gamma parameters of PMCS and OTT; the fitted μ-Λ and Z-R relationship measured by PMCS is close to that measured by OTT, which validates the performance of PMCS on rain-rate, rainfall accumulation, and DSD related parameters.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3311
Author(s):  
Víctor Pérez-Andreu ◽  
Carolina Aparicio-Fernández ◽  
José-Luis Vivancos ◽  
Javier Cárcel-Carrasco

The number of buildings renovated following the introduction of European energy-efficiency policy represents a small number of buildings in Spain. So, the main Spanish building stock needs an urgent energy renovation. Using passive strategies is essential, and thermal characterization and predictive tests of the energy-efficiency improvements achieving acceptable levels of comfort for their users are urgently necessary. This study analyzes the energy performance and thermal comfort of the users in a typical Mediterranean dwelling house. A transient simulation has been used to acquire the scope of Spanish standards for its energy rehabilitation, taking into account standard comfort conditions. The work is based on thermal monitoring of the building and a numerical validated model developed in TRNSYS. Energy demands for different models have been calculated considering different passive constructive measures combined with real wind site conditions and the behavior of users related to natural ventilation. This methodology has given us the necessary information to decide the best solution in relation to energy demand and facility of implementation. The thermal comfort for different models is not directly related to energy demand and has allowed checking when and where the measures need to be done.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1226
Author(s):  
Beatriz Fraga-De Cal ◽  
Antonio Garrido-Marijuan ◽  
Olaia Eguiarte ◽  
Beñat Arregi ◽  
Ander Romero-Amorrortu ◽  
...  

Prefabricated solutions incorporating thermal insulation are increasingly adopted as an energy conservation measure for building renovation. The InnoWEE European project developed three technologies from Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials through a manufacturing process that supports the circular economy strategy of the European Union. Two of them consisted of geopolymer panels incorporated into an External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) and a ventilated façade. This study evaluates their thermal performance by means of monitoring data from three pilot case studies in Greece, Italy, and Romania, and calibrated building simulation models enabling the reliable prediction of energy savings in different climates and use scenarios. Results showed a reduction in energy demand for all demo buildings, with annual energy savings up to 25% after placing the novel insulation solutions. However, savings are highly dependent on weather conditions since the panels affect cooling and heating loads differently. Finally, a parametric assessment is performed to assess the impact of insulation thickness through an energy performance prediction and a cash flow analysis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2491
Author(s):  
Alena Tažiková ◽  
Zuzana Struková ◽  
Mária Kozlovská

This study deals with small investors’ demands on thermal insulation systems when choosing the most suitable solution for a family house. By 2050, seventy percent of current buildings, including residential buildings, are still expected to be in operation. To reach carbon neutrality, it is necessary to reduce operational energy consumption and thus reduce the related cost of building operations and the cost of the life cycle of buildings. One solution is to adapt envelopes of buildings by proper insulation solutions. To choose an optimal thermal insulation system that will reduce energy consumption of building, it is necessary to consider the environmental cost of insulation materials in addition to the construction cost of the materials. The environmental cost of a material depends on the carbon footprint from the initial origin of the material. This study presents the results of a multi-criteria decision-making analysis, where five different contractors set the evaluation criteria for selection of the optimal thermal insulation system. In their decision-making, they involved the requirements of small investors. The most common requirements were selected: the construction cost, the construction time (represented by the total man-hours), the thermal conductivity coefficient, the diffusion resistance factor, and the reaction to fire. The confidences of the criteria were then determined with the help of the pairwise comparison method. This was followed by multi-criteria decision-making using the method of index coefficients, also known as the method of basic variant. The multi-criteria decision-making included thermal insulation systems based on polystyrene, mineral wool, thermal insulation plaster, and aerogels’ nanotechnology. As a result, it was concluded that, currently, in Slovakia, small investors emphasize the cost of material and the coefficient of thermal conductivity and they do not care as much about the carbon footprint of the material manufacturing, the importance of which is mentioned in this study.


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