Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
5-31-1988
Degree Name
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering - (M.S.)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
First Advisor
Robert P. Kirchner
Second Advisor
Rong-Yaw Chen
Third Advisor
Eugene Stamper
Abstract
The steady-state thermal resistance of a building wall is an important parameter in determining its thermal performance. In-situ measurement of thermal resistance is the only unambiguous way of determining thermal resistance since the actual value may significantly differ from the laboratory or the calculated R-value.
Hitherto, the in-situ measurement of thermal resistance has been largely confined to the winter season. A thermoelectric calorimeter was designed, constructed and tested in order to provide measurements of thermal resistance during the summer as well as the winter season.
This thermoelectric calorimeter is a rectangular box, insulated on five sides and covered with an aluminum plate on the sixth. The side with the aluminum plate is placed against the building component and the heat flux through the building component is the heat flux through the aluminum plate.
A laboratory testing chamber was constructed to simulate both summer and winter conditions. The thermoelectric calorimeter was tested on a 1 inch thick glass-fiber insulation board supplied by the National Bureau of Standards. Two computer simulations, which were used to predict the heat flux values, were in good agreement with the laboratory test result. Results of the thermoelectric calorimeter test showed that average thermal resistance of the specimen was within 0.2 % of the thermal resistance value calculated using the National Bureau of Standards formula.
It was concluded that the thermoelectric calorimeter is a viable and useful tool for the in-situ measurement of the thermal resistance of building components.
Recommended Citation
Samtaney, Ravindra, "Design and construction of a thermoelectric calorimeter to measure thermal resistance of building components" (1988). Theses. 3203.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/3203
