2916 -- An Analysis of Heat Losses through Residential Floor Slabs PDF

A finite element analysis was undertaken to determine the effects of the following factors on the heat losses through residential floor slabs: outdoor air temperature, deep soil temperature, thermal conductivity of the underlying soil, and the configuration of any thermal insulation used. The study confirmed that the losses occur primarily near the edge of the slab and are proportional to the product of slab perimeter and the indoor/outdoor temperature difference, a relationship familiar to the HVAC community. However, the constant of proportionality was found to be strongly dependent on both the insulation configuration and the soil thermal conductivity. The latter dependency has seemingly been ignored in past studies. Thus, accurate predictions of slab heat losses must include considerations of the soil underlying the slab.

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