QC-06-003 (RP-1311) - Calculating Center-Glass Performance Indices of Windows with a Diathermanous Layer PDF

The fenestration chapter of the 2005 ASHRAE Handbook— Fundamentals (ASHRAE 2005) has long included methods for determining the U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), or window performance indices, using the radiative and convective heat transfer coefficients around a glazing layer. The present work examines the errors inherent in applying these standard calculation methods to window systems that include a single diathermanous layer (such as a shading layer), and new equations for calculating the performance indices are derived. Furthermore, the radiative heat transfer coefficients used in these calculations can be difficult to determine in the presence of a diathermanous layer. Therefore, a new and stable method of calculating radiative heat transfer coefficients is also presented. The effects of using the existing procedures are demonstrated using industry-standard software.