Thermal properties of building materials evaluated by a dynamic simulationof a test cell

A method for the measurement of thermal properties of building components u nder controllable conditions is presented. It is based on the use of a test cell designed to enable calculation of thermal properties solely from temp erature readings, without the need for power measurements. The test cell's low thermal inertia allows short testing times (about 3 h). Using an approp riate thermal network to simulate the dynamic behavior of the test cell, pr edicted results were found to have a 0.6 degreesC maximum temperature devia tion with measured test cell responses. The thermal transmittance (U-value) of an insulating block, a single glass sheet and a double glazing have bee n measured with an accuracy of about 5%. A simulation of a scaled-up test c ell with dimensions 6.0 m x 6.0 m x 4.5 m has revealed that the test cell's response to temperature changes depends strongly on the amount of wall ins ulation. The scaled-up test cell exhibits a relatively fast response to tem perature changes (9 to 18 h) due to its low thermal mass. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.