Transient conductive, radiative heat transfer coupled with moisture transport in attic insulations

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2514/3.510· OSTI ID:45864

Gorthala, R; Harris, K T; Roux, J A; Mccarty, T A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Mississippi, University, MS (United States)

A transient, one-dimensional thermal model that incorporates combined conduction, radiation heat transfer, and moisture transport for residential attic insulations has been developed. The governing equations are the energy equation, the radiative transport equation for volumetric radiation within the insulation batt, and the species equations for bound H2O and vapor H2O. A simultaneous solution procedure with a Eulerian control volume-based finite difference method was used to solve the energy equation and the species equations. The method of discrete ordinates was used in solving the radiative transport equation. For H2O transport, both diffusion of vapor H2O and bound H2O and moisture adsorption/desorption within the insulation binder are included in the model. The experimental data measured at an occupied North Mississippi residence for R19STD (standard R19 fiberglass insulation batt without a foil radiant barrier) were used to validate the model which predicted heat fluxes for summer, spring, winter, and fall seasonal conditions. These predictions were compared with the measured heat flux data and the predictions from the dry model (without the moisture transport). Various profiles such as temperature-time histories, relative humidity time histories, spatial H2O concentrations, spatial temperatures, and spatial heat fluxes are presented to explain the overall heat transfer behavior. 18 refs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 45864
• Journal Information: Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, Journal Name: Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 8; ISSN 0887-8722; ISSN JTHTEO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
HEAT FLUX
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MOISTURE
RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
THERMAL ANALYSIS
THERMAL INSULATION
TRANSPORT