Evaluation of Multiyear Weather Data Effects on Hygrothermal Building Energy Simulations Using WUFI Plus

Libralato, Michele; Angelis, Alessandra De; Tornello, Giulia; Saro, Onorio; D’Agaro, Paola; Cortella, Giovanni

doi:10.3390/en14217157

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…This function is particularly important in the context of climate change [14,[89][90][91][92][93], which has been shown to result in greater fluctuations in temperature and humidity [94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101]. This aspect is significant for maintaining thermal comfort in historical buildings [102][103][104][105] and for enhancing energy efficiency in new constructions [106][107][108][109][110][111].…”

Section: Analysis Of the Thermophysical Performance Of Rammed Earth W...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermophysical Characteristics of Clay for Efficient Rammed Earth Wall Construction

Petcu,

Dobrescu,

Dragomir

et al. 2023

Materials

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This case study focuses on twelve compacted clay soil samples to understand their fundamental physical and thermal properties. For each sample, the density, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and drying shrinkage were assessed. The identification and characterisation of the materials were also carried out by positioning them into the ternary diagram based on the percentage of sand, silt, and clay. These properties are definitive for the performance characteristics of materials used in rammed earth wall construction. The aim is to provide information for better knowledge and prediction regarding the dynamic heat flow in rammed earth walls. Experimental results show a relatively wide range of values for each property, reflecting the diverse properties of the sampled clays. The thermophysical characteristics of the 12 types of earth analysed showed correlations with reports in the literature in terms of density (1490–2150 kg/m3), porosity (23.22–39.99%), specific heat capacity (701–999 J/kgK), and thermal conductivity (0.523–1.209 W/mK), which indicates them as materials suitable for use in the construction of rammed earth walls. Using test data, a dynamic assessment of heat flow through simulated rammed earth walls was performed. For a better understanding of the results obtained, they were compared with results obtained for simulations where the building element would be made of concrete, i.e., a mineral wool core composite. Thus, heat flux at the wall surface and mass flux, respectively, during the 16 years of operation showed similar evolution for all 12 types of clay material analysed, with small variations explained by differences in thermophysical characteristics specific to each type of S1–S12 earth. In the case of walls made from clay material, there is a stabilisation in the evolution of the water content phenomenon by the 5th year of simulation. This contrasts with walls made of concrete, where the characteristic water content appears to evolve continuously over the 16-year period. Therefore, it can be said that in the case of the construction elements of existing buildings, which have already gone through a sufficient period for the maturation of the materials in their construction elements, the rammed earth wall quickly develops a moisture buffer function. In the case of simulating a mineral wool core composite wall, it cannot perform as a temperature or humidity buffer, exhibiting an enthalpy exchange with indoor air that is only 4% of that of the rammed earth walls; consequently, it does not play a significant role in regulating indoor comfort conditions. Overall, there is confirmation of the temperature and moisture buffering capabilities of rammed earth walls during both warm and cold periods of the year, which is consistent with other reports in the literature. The findings of this research provide a better insight into clay as a material for rammed earth walls for more efficient design and construction, offering potential improvements regarding indoor comfort, energy efficiency, and sustainability. The data also provides useful information in the fields of architecture and civil engineering regarding the use of clay as an eco-friendly building material. The results emphasise the importance of thoroughly understanding the thermophysical properties of clay to ensure the efficiency of rammed earth construction.

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Section: Analysis Of the Thermophysical Performance Of Rammed Earth W...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermophysical Characteristics of Clay for Efficient Rammed Earth Wall Construction

Petcu,

Dobrescu,

Dragomir

et al. 2023

Materials

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“…Dynamic hygrothermal simulations offer an advanced numerical tool that accounts for the complexity of buildings, including human occupancy, use of HVAC systems, natural ventilation, infiltration, heat and moisture transfer in building materials, and outdoor dynamic weather conditions [101]. This type of simulations are largely employed to study the efficacy of hygroscopic building materials for passive regulation of indoor environments under realistic conditions [102]- [111]. In this study, numerical simulations are performed using WUFI Plus.…”

Section: Experimental Procedures Physical Hygric and Thermal Characte...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-thinking Indoor Humidity Control Strategies: The potential of additive manufacturing with low-carbon, super hygroscopic materials.

Posani,

Voney,

Odaglia

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Indoor humidity plays a major role in our comfort and well-being. For this reason, mechanical systems are often used to regulate indoor humidity levels, a choice that can entail relevant embodied and operational carbon emissions. This study offers an alternative solution: using materials that naturally buffer moisture to passively regulate indoor humidity levels. In this work, a geopolymer composite incorporating industrial waste is implemented via a binder jet 3D-printing technology. The combination of the super hygroscopic nature of the material and optimal geometry allows for an effective reduction of embodied emissions and unlocks an unprecedented potential for passive regulation of indoor humidity. Results show that the adoption of 3D-printed geopolymer-based tiles can improve the annual indoor hygrometric conditions by up to 90% in a library hosting 15 people: a passive performance that is inconceivable to obtain with conventional building materials and manufacturing methods. The 3D-printing technology allows for optimal usage of material and consequent lower embodied emissions. In the case study considered, the environmental impact of using 3D-printed tiles emerges to be lower than adopting a conventional dehumidification system to actively achieve equivalent indoor hygrometric comfort levels over a 15-year time span. The outcomes of this study pave the way towards merging super hygroscopic low carbon materials with the advanced manufacturing technique of binder jetting in order to regulate indoor humidity levels and reduce indoor environments' dependency on mechanical systems.

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“…Recent references [20][21][22][23] report the extensive time effort of multi-layered hygrothermal simulation in various wall assemblies. Thus, in order to reduce the computational time and lower resource intensity in hygrothermal assessment, the incorporation of Moisture Reference Years (MRY) has evolved into a standard practice guideline.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Historical Perspectives in Building Hygrothermal Models: A Comprehensive Review

Jalili,

Ouahbi,

Eid

et al. 2024

Buildings

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The necessity of understanding and simulating hydrological phenomena as well as their interactions and the effect of anthropogenic and climate conditions on the ecosystem have encouraged researchers for years to investigate the moisture transfer in soil. Considering the moisture transfer as an isothermal phenomenon might cause a wrong estimation due to the non-isothermal nature of the moisture movement in porous media. Hygrothermal (coupled heat and moisture transfer) models are quite diverse and are the engine of the various hygrothermal software tools used to analyze the heat and moisture in building envelopes, drying technologies, and many other applications. This paper is a literature survey conducted to provide an overview on the classical hygrothermal models to address the historical perspectives on these models. First, it investigated, from a historical point of view, the challenges behind the development of hygrothermal models as unsaturated flow theories, beginning with Buckingham theory. The non-isothermal nature of moisture was the starting point for researchers to deal with new challenges during mathematical modeling and experimental analysis. In general, the theory of coupled heat and moisture transfer first developed by J.R. Philip and De Vries and the authors in the mid-1950s inspired the novel hygrothermal models, including Sophocleous and Milly’s model, Rode’s model, Künzel’s model, and Grunewal’s model. In a parallel of hygrothermal model developments, the models of Whitaker and Luikov can also be classified as hygrothermal models; they were mostly applied in modeling the phenomenon of drying. The study highlights the application of hygrothermal models in building physics and gathered a summary of international efforts such as Annex 24, Annex 41, and the HAMSTAD project and advancements performed from the classical dew point or steady-state Glaser method. Moreover, this study emphasizes the advantages of the standard of EN 15026 and limitations of the Glaser method. To sum up, hygrothermal models are still under development based on various assumptions of moisture driving potentials and transfer coefficients.

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Evaluation of Multiyear Weather Data Effects on Hygrothermal Building Energy Simulations Using WUFI Plus

Cited by 9 publications

References 22 publications

Thermophysical Characteristics of Clay for Efficient Rammed Earth Wall Construction

Thermophysical Characteristics of Clay for Efficient Rammed Earth Wall Construction

Re-thinking Indoor Humidity Control Strategies: The potential of additive manufacturing with low-carbon, super hygroscopic materials.

Exploring Historical Perspectives in Building Hygrothermal Models: A Comprehensive Review

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