scholarly journals Thermal Performance of LSF Wall Systems with Vacuum Insulation Panels

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 621
Author(s):  
Heshachanaa Rajanayagam ◽  
Irindu Upasiri ◽  
Keerthan Poologanathan ◽  
Perampalam Gatheeshgar ◽  
Paul Sherlock ◽  
...  

Lightweight Steel Frames (LSF) in building construction are becoming more popular due to their fast, clean, and flexible constructability. Typical LSF wall panels are made of cold-formed and thin-walled steel lipped channel studs with plasterboard linings. Due to the high thermal conductivity of steel, these LSF components must be well engineered and covered against unintended thermal bridges. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the heat transfer of the LSF wall of different configurations and reduce heat loss through walls by lowering the thermal transmittance, which would ultimately minimise the energy consumption in buildings. The effect of novel thermal insulation material, Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP), their position on the LSF wall configuration, and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and plasterboard’s effect on the thermal transmittance of LSF walls were investigated through numerical analysis. A total of 56 wall configurations and 112 finite element models were analysed and compared with the minimum U-value requirements of UK building regulations. Numerical model results exhibited that using plasterboards instead of OSB has no considerable effect on the U-value of the LSF walls. However, 77% (4 times) of U-value reduction was exhibited by introducing the 20 mm VIP. Moreover, the position of the VIP to the U-value of LSF was negligible. Based on the results, optimum LSF wall configurations were proposed by highlighting the construction methods. Additionally, this study, through literature, seeks to identify other areas in which additional research can be conducted to achieve the desired thermal efficiency of buildings using LSF wall systems.

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doo Sung Choi ◽  
Myeong Jin Ko

In the last few decades, an average method which is regulated by ISO 9869-1 has been used to evaluate the in situ thermal transmittance (U-value) and thermal resistance (R-value) of building envelopes obtained from onsite measurements and to verify the validity of newly proposed methods. Nevertheless, only a few studies have investigated the test duration required to obtain reliable results using this method and the convergence characteristics of the results. This study aims to evaluate the convergence characteristics of the in situ values analyzed using the average method. The criteria for determining convergence (i.e., end of the test) using the average method are very strict, mainly because of the third condition, which compares the deviation of two values derived from the first and last periods of the same duration. To shorten the test duration, environmental variables should be kept constant throughout the test or an appropriate period should be selected. The convergence of the in situ U-value and R-value is affected more by the length of the test duration than by the temperature difference if the test environment meets literature-recommended conditions. Furthermore, there is no difference between the use of the U-value and R-value in determining the end of the test.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulien Strandberg-de Bruijn ◽  
Anna Donarelli ◽  
Kristin Balksten

With an increased focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy saving is of great importance in all sectors of society. EU directives set targets for member states to reduce energy use in buildings. Energy saving in historic buildings requires special measures, balancing energy-saving renovations against the preservation of heritage values. Traditional constructions are open to vapor diffusion and generally work differently from modern constructions. Modern materials in traditional constructions sometimes damages the original material as they are usually diffusion-tight. The aim of this study was to investigate whether hemp-lime could be used as an insulation material to improve the energy efficiency of historic timber building envelopes with a rendered façade in Sweden. The objective was to determine the actual energy savings for space heating. An additional objective was to determine the actual thermal transmittance and to study thermal buffering through in-situ measurements in a full-scale wall renovated with hemp-lime. Two full-scale wall sections were constructed at the Energy and Building Design laboratory at Lund University: A traditional post-and-plank wall with a lime render (80 mm), and a post-and-plank wall with a hemp-lime render (90 mm). Energy use for space heating was monitored continuously over a period of one year. The wall with a hemp-lime render required 33% less energy for space heating than the traditional post-and-plank wall with a lime render. This was accomplished without changing the framework, appearance or material in the render and without drastically changing the hygric properties of the façade. From the gathered data, the thermal transmittance (U-values) for both walls was calculated using two different methods, one based on material properties and the other based on energy use data. For both walls, thermal transmittance based on actual energy use data during the heating period was lower than what was expected from their material properties. This indicates that more material properties than thermal conductivity and material thickness need to be taken into account when performing energy use calculations. With hemp-lime, a renovation can be accomplished without damaging the timber structure and wooden slats, and it can be done with local traditional materials and building methods with no difference in appearance to a traditional lime render. This allows for heritage values to be preserved, while also allowing the building to comply with modern standards and with increased thermal comfort and reduced energy use.


2020 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 07003
Author(s):  
Klaus Viljanen ◽  
Xiaoshu Lü ◽  
Jari Puttonen

This article presents long-term experimental studies on the moisture safety in the ventilation cavities of highly insulated (HI) structures. The tested HI-walls had thermal transmittances of 0.11-0.13 W/m2K. A wall with a thermal transmittance of 0.23 W/m2K represented the baseline wall in the test. In addition to walls, an HI-roof of a newly built house with a U-value of 0.08 W/m2K was measured. The results indicate that, in the ventilation cavity, the relative humidity of an HI-wall exceeds 1-7% of the humidity measured from the baseline wall during winter, which coincides with the 0.4-1.5ºC lower temperatures observed in the HI-walls. The mold risk in the ventilation cavities of the walls is low, as the value of the mold index (MI) remains below one, which indicates small amounts of microscopic mold only on surfaces. However, at the bottom of the cavity, the MI value reaches 1.4 due to lower temperatures. In the HI-roof, the MI values are between 1.0 and 2.0 in the middle of the cavity in winter. The reasons for the higher mold risk of the roof are the humid weather, the built-in moisture of the roof and the low heat flux from inside. The study confirms that, in the future, warmer weather and increased humidity can increase moisture risks in the ventilation cavities. The results support the use of materials that are more resistant to mold in the outer parts of structures.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Metin Davraz ◽  
Hilmi C. Bayrakci

AbstractVacuum insulation panel (VIP) is known to be the most effective insulation material. However, the usage areas of VIPs are restricted because of their high production costs. The core of VIP is the most important item affecting the cost of VIP. In this study, to obtain VIPs, which are provided with minimum thermal conductivity resistance value (R=5 m2 K/mW), was aimed for the optimal thickness of the panel (<40 mm). Therefore, 14 different core samples of VIP were produced by using various types of powders (fumed silica, precipitated silica, perlite, and diatomite), opacifiers (silicon carbide, carbon black, and titanium dioxide), and fibers (glass fiber, organic fiber, and cellulosic fiber). By using appropriate test methods, the physical properties of core samples such as unit weight, porosity, mass per volume and mechanical properties, their uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, and dimensional stability and also thermal conductivity coefficient in vacuum were determined. Results were compared with values of reference materials. The most appropriate compression pressure used in the manufacture of core sample was 27.5 kN. In addition, taking into account the benefit-cost relationship, the results of this study showed that the mix of fumed silica and precipitated silica (powder material), silicon carbide (opacifier), and glass fiber (fiber) was determined as the most suitable raw materials.


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