Purpose -Although vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) are thermal insulators that combine high thermal performance with limited thickness, application in the building sector is still rare due to lack of scientific knowledge on the behaviour of these panels applied in building constructions. This paper, therefore, seeks to give an overview of the requirements for and the behaviour of VIPs integrated into building components and constructions. Moreover, the interaction between different requirements on and properties of these integrated components are discussed in detail, since a desired high quality of the finished product demands an integral approach regarding all properties and requirements, especially during the design phase. Therefore, the importance of an integral design approach to application of VIPs is shown and emphasized in this paper. Design/methodology/approach -To achieve this objective, the legally and technically required properties of VIPs and especially their interrelationships have been studied, resulting in a relationship diagram. Based on these investigations of thermal-, service life-and structural-properties have been selected to be studied more elaborately using experimental set-up for structural testing and simulation software for thermal and hygrothermal testing. Findings -Two relationships between requirements or properties were found to be of principal importance for the design of façade components in which VIPs are integrated. First, thermal performance requirements strongly interact with structural performance, principally through the edge spacer of this façade component. A high thermal performance requires minimization of the thermal edge effect, in most cases reducing the structural performance of the entire panel. Second, an important relationship between thermal performance and service life has been recognised. The operating phenomenon mainly governing this interaction is thermal conductivity aging. Originality/value -Most research in the field of vacuum insulation until now has been directed towards gaining knowledge on specific properties of the product, especially on thermal and hygrothermal properties. The relationships and interactions between these properties and the structural behaviour, however, have been neglected. This paper, therefore, addresses the need for an integral design (and study) approach for the application of VIPs in architectural constructions.
This paper describes experiments conducted in the framework of a research project aimed at finding suitable barrier films for vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), which are used for applications in the cooling industry (especially for ducts in liquified natural gas [LNG] installations) and in the building industry. It explores the heat seal strength of four makes of film used for this purpose. A secondary purpose was to investigate the influence of the heat seal parameters on the heat seal strength of the tested films. The heat seals were tested at room temperature and at -130°C, from which it readily became clear that the heat seal parameters can be chosen freely within certain limits.
Both critical and optimistic claims have been made regarding the performance of heat recovery ventilation systems (HRVS) in dwellings. Such arguments are raised partly because two key aspects are not fully clarified, i.e. the performance criteria and the influence of uncertainties. In the current paper, an assessment method for HRVS considering the influence of uncertainties is described. This includes adequate assessment criteria, the method of identifying the uncertainties, and the method of addressing the influence of such uncertainties. The performance criteria consider the airflow performance, supply air quality and energy performance. Uncertainties in four aspects, including ventilation component, building properties, outdoor environment and occupant behaviour, are defined and related to five uncertainty sources ranging from the design phase to usage phase, i.e. design alternative, specification uncertainty, production deviation, modelling uncertainty and stochastic process. The estimation methods are given for each type of uncertainty based on the sources. Then, the method of carrying out the uncertainty analysis is introduced. This includes the calculation steps under a given commissioning status of the ventilation system, the uncertainty quantification techniques and the calculation steps. Afterwards, the method is applied to a case study of a counter flow heat recovery ventilation system in a reference Dutch house with the aid of simulations. Generally speaking, the method proposed in this article can provide an adequate framework for analysing or assessing the performance of HRVS in houses. As such it may contribute to a better understanding and a better design of this type of ventilation system.
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