Attic testing at the Roof Research Center: Initial results

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:6003717

Wilkes, K E; Wendt, R L; Delmas, A; Childs, P W

In 1990, a series of tests was performed on residential attics using an attic test module built to permit research to be accomplished on a number of issues related to attics. This test module was used in the Large Scale Climate Simulator (LSCS) at the Roof Research Center. This combination of test module and LSCS permitted the Center to perform a number of studies under closely controlled interior and climatic conditions including: evaluation of uninsulated attic performance and comparison with previously published results, evaluation of the thermal performance of the attic with loose-fill fiberglass insulation, and the identification of heat loss due to convective air movement through the loose-fill insulation under simulated winter conditions. Testing, in general, showed reasonable agreement with previously published results for each of the above areas of investigation. Thermal performance improved markedly with the installation of the loose-fill insulation. However, the thermal performance of the loose-fill fiberglass insulation tested under winter conditions declined by as much as a factor of two as the temperature difference across the insulation increased. This decline in thermal performance is attributed to the initiation of convection through the insulation as the temperature declines. These findings were documented by both energy flow analysis using the LSCS guarded hot box and infrared scans of the insulation surface in the attic. It should be noted that the present experiments were performed with one type of loose-fill fiberglass insulation. Similar results would be expected for other products that have similar air flow and thermal properties. However, further testing is required to document the performance of the full range of insulations currently available. 4 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6003717
• Report Number(s): CONF-910446-4; ON: DE91010141
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320107* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Systems-- (1987-)
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603 -- Materials-- Properties
ATTICS
BUILDINGS
CEILINGS
CONVECTION
DOCUMENT TYPES
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY TRANSFER
FIBERGLASS
HEAT FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
HOUSES
INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY
MASS TRANSFER
MEASURING METHODS
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROGRESS REPORT
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SIMULATION
TESTING
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
THERMAL INSULATION
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMOGRAPHY