Thermal response of wall implanted with heat pipes: Experimental analysis

Chang Liu and Zhigang Zhang

Renewable Energy, 2019, vol. 143, issue C, 1687-1697

Abstract: A wall implanted with heat pipes (WIHP) features effective heat transfer between indoor and outdoor environments due to the pipe’s unidirectional thermal conductivity; the implant also resolves the contradiction between the wall’s insulation and solar energy utilization. The thermal performance of walls is crucial in terms of reducing a building’s energy consumption and improving its indoor thermal environment. The heat transfer process of the condensing section is the focus of the present study. We establish a dynamic heat transfer model of the condensing section based on the Z-transfer function, and introduces the temperature rise coefficient (TRC) concept. The thermal response characteristics of an ordinary wall and WIHP are determined via theoretical analysis and experimentation. The WIHP shows a faster thermal response to weather variations than the ordinary wall. In a typical day, the efficient heat transfer and long running time (7 h 30 min) of the heat pipe improve the average inside-surface temperature of the WIHP by 0.5 °C and the average TRC by 0.16. A portion of the heat released from the pipe is also stored by the wall, which staves off temperature attenuation and minimizes temperature fluctuations in the inside surface, thereby creating a more comfortable indoor thermal environment.

Keywords: Wall implanted with heat pipes; Thermal response; Time lag; Decrement factor; Temperature rise coefficient (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:143:y:2019:i:c:p:1687-1697

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2019.05.123

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