Thermal Performance Improvement of Double-Pane Lightweight Steel Framed Walls Using Thermal Break Strips and Reflective Foils

Paulo Santos and Telmo Ribeiro
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Paulo Santos: ISISE, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal
Telmo Ribeiro: ISISE, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-16

Abstract: The reduction of unwanted heat losses across the buildings’ envelope is very relevant to increase energy efficiency and achieve the decarbonization goals for the building stock. Two major heat transfer mechanisms across the building envelope are conduction and radiation, being this last one very important whenever there is an air cavity. In this work, the use of aerogel thermal break (TB) strips and aluminium reflective (AR) foils are experimentally assessed to evaluate the thermal performance improvement of double-pane lightweight steel-framed (LSF) walls. The face-to-face thermal resistances were measured under laboratory-controlled conditions for sixteen LSF wall configurations. The reliability of the measurements was double-checked making use of a homogeneous XPS single panel, as well as several non-homogeneous double-pane LSF walls. The measurements allowed us to conclude that the effectiveness of the AR foil is greater than the aerogel TB strips. In fact, using an AR foil inside the air cavity of double-pane LSF walls is much more effective than using aerogel TB strips along the steel flange, since only one AR foil (inner or outer) provides a similar thermal resistance increase than two aerogel TB strips, i.e., around +0.47 m 2 ∙K/W (+19%). However, the use of two AR foils, instead of a single one, is not effective, since the relative thermal resistance increase is only about +0.04 m 2 ∙K/W (+2%).

Keywords: thermal performance; experimental assessment; double-pane; lightweight steel frame (LSF); partition walls; aerogel thermal break strips; aluminium reflective foils (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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