Model and Experiments for Hygrothermal Conditions of the Envelope and Indoor Air of Buildings PDF

This paper presents two linked research activities on hygrothermal conditions in buildings--the establishment of modeling capabilities for whole building analysis and experiments in a test cell of indoor hygrothermal variations. A model for thermal simulation of buildings is given new capabilities for transient simulation of the indoor humidity by taking into account moisture buffering in building components and furnishing and the supply of humidity from indoor activities. The moisture conditions in all layers of the building envelope are calculated in the same simulation. A test cell has been instrumented to measure indoor humidity conditions under transient exposure. The response in relative humidity of the air and the moisture content in adjacent building materials are measured when humidity is released into or removed from the room. The results are used to characterize the buffering capacity of different materials and to verify predictions of the numerical model.

Authors: Carsten Rode, Ph.D.; Karl Grau; Teruaki Mitamura

Citation: Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Buildings VIII

Keywords: December, Florida, 2001