Surface temperature measurement of insulating glass units using infrared thermography

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:433752

Elmahdy, H ^[1]

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1. National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Inst. for Research in Construction

Infrared (IR) thermography is a process to produce, by means of an infrared scanner, thermal images of surfaces by detecting the radiation emitted from the surfaces. The application of IR thermography as a diagnostic tool in building science assists in determining existing anomalies in the building envelope and other building components. In this paper, IR thermography is used to compare the glass surface temperatures of insulating glass (IG) units made with two types of spacer bar (metal and silicone foam) and different gap widths. The results from this research are compared with data obtained from another research laboratory using a different IR scanner and also with data from finite-element computer modeling. All the tests and simulations were performed on identical IG units. Tests performed on seven IG units indicated that IR thermography could be used to assess the edge-of-glass temperature of IG units for the prediction of condensation resistance of the units. The image processing and analysis depend on the knowledge of accurate emissivity of the surfaces under investigation as well as other variables that affect the final thermal image (e.g., ambient temperature, relative humidity of air in the optical path, and the optical path length). The IR scanner records all the radiation (both direct and reflected) it sees either from the intended target or from any other radiative surfaces in its field of view (FOV). The vertical temperature profiles of all the tested units showed considerable reduction of temperature at the bottom section of the IG unit. The degree of temperature reduction is affected by the type of spacer bar material and the gap thickness.

• Sponsoring Organization: Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology, Ottawa, ON (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 433752
• Report Number(s): CONF-960606--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
DIAGRAMS
DOUBLE GLAZING
EMISSIVITY
INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY
RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
WINDOWS