In situ measurements and numerical simulation of heat transfer beneath a heated ground floor slab

An in situ experiment designed to monitor the thermal behaviour of a real h eated slab-on-ground floor is described. Some aspects of this experimental investigation are discussed. This paper also reports on the results of a nu merical simulation of heat transfer beneath the slab and the surrounding gr ound, A three-dimensional finite volume model, integrated in the building e nergy simulation program APACHE, was used to simulate the transient tempera tures in the soil. The results showed that this model is well adapted to th is type of problem. A differential sensitivity study suggested that uncerta inties in input parameters may account for the small discrepancies noticed between measured and calculated temperatures. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A . All rights reserved.