Development of an exterior insulating mechanism for passive solar walls. Final report
A movable, mechanically operated, insulated cover for insulating and protecting the exterior side of south-facing window walls typical of passive solar homes was designed, built and tested. The shutter, which covers an 8 ft by 32 ft glass wall on a house near Brookings, South Dakota, is constructed of 4 in. of styrofoam insulation sandwiched between 3/8 in. plywood. The shutter consists of two 4-1/3 ft by 33 ft sections which are raised or lowered by cables. Each section is attached to a mechanical drive operated by a 1/2 HP electric motor coupled to a worm gear box which automatically locks in position whenever re-energized. Major problems encountered were (1) selection of a motor and gear box combination which locked in position when de-energized to avoid problems which could occur during a power outage, (2) design of the door guide system to minimize possibilities of the door sections binding or catching while moving up or down, and (3) minimizing the door system cost to enhance the economic feasibility of insulating passive window walls at night. Energy consumption can be reduced by approximately 80,000 to 90,000 Btu/ft/sup 2/-y by using this window cover device. Material costs for the cover are approximately $8.00/ft/sup 2/.
- Research Organization:
- Christianson (Les), Brookings, SD (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG48-80R806431
- OSTI ID:
- 6652654
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/R8/06431-T1; ON: DE84015790
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Spray Foam Exterior Insulation with Stand-Off Furring - New York
Naturally cooled Florida house