Effect of attic ventilation on the performance of radiant barriers

Journal Article · Sat Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Solar Energy Engineering; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2930011· OSTI ID:6767607

Medina, M A; O'Neal, D L ^[1]; Turner, W D ^[2]

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1. Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
2. Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Coll. of Engineering

The objective of the experiments was to quantify how attic ventilation would affect the performance of a radiant barrier. Ceiling heat flux and space cooling load were both measured. Results of side-by-side radiant barrier experiments using two identical 13.38 m[sup 2] (nominal) test houses are presented in this paper. The test houses responded similarly to weather variations. Indoor temperatures of the test houses were controlled to within 0.2 [degrees] C. Ceiling heat fluxes and space cooling load were within a 2.5 percent difference between both test houses. The results showed that a critical attic ventilation flow rate of 1.3 (1/sec)/m[sup 2] of the attic floor existed after which the percentage reduction in ceiling heat fluxes produced by the radiant barriers did not change with increasing attic airflow rates. The ceiling heat flux reductions produced by the radiant barriers were between 25 and 35 percent, with 28 percent being the percent reduction observed most often in the presence of attic ventilation. The space-cooling load reductions observed were between two to four percent. All results compiled in this paper were for attics with unfaced fiberglass insulation with a resistance level of 3.35 m[sup 2]K/W (nominal) and for a perforated radiant barrier with low emissivities (less than 0.05) on both sides.

• OSTI ID: 6767607
• Journal Information: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Solar Energy Engineering; (United States) Vol. 114:4; ISSN JSEEDO; ISSN 0199-6231
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320107* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Building Systems-- (1987-)
42 ENGINEERING
420400 -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
AIR FLOW
ATTICS
BUILDINGS
DATA
DESIGN
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
HEAT FLUX
HEAT TRANSFER
HOUSES
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT