Effectiveness of the thermal mass of external walls on residential buildings for part-time part-space heating and cooling using the state-space method

Jie Deng; Runming Yao; Wei Yu; Qiulei Zhang; Baizhan Li

doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.02.029

Effectiveness of the thermal mass of external walls on residential buildings for part-time part-space heating and cooling using the state-space method

Jie Deng, Runming Yao, Wei Yu, Qiulei Zhang, Baizhan Li

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A high-resolution time interval numerical model is more accurate to analyze the building dynamic thermophysical processes in the intermittent occupancy, while relevant professional software, such as EnergyPlus, is not compatible with different time intervals. The present study aims to investigate the thermal mass effectiveness of external walls on the part-time part-space operation of heating and cooling of a typical residence. A high-resolution model of a typical 3-occupant residential apartment has been developed using the state-space method and validated by the simulation results from EnergyPlus. The model is then amended to calculate building energy demands with fixed heat and cold supply powers from the perspective of system control, in order to interpret the effectiveness of thermal mass with identical recommended U-value in the HSCW (Hot Summer and Cold Winter) zone in terms of room operative temperatures. It is found that high thermal mass does not help to reduce ideal building loads in the residential buildings in the HSCW zone, but it will improve indoor thermal comfort control in real engineering compared to low thermal mass. Regarding thermal insulation placements of heavy weight external walls under the same thermal mass, it is evidenced that the adoption of internal insulation weakens the thermal mass impact of the heavy weight wall composition compared to that of external insulation. It is inferred that the high thermal mass in the composition of external walls should be exposed to the indoor air to avoid overheating in the cooling conditions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	155-171
Journal	Energy and Buildings
Volume	190
Early online date	22 Feb 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.02.029
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2019

Bibliographical note

Note: The research work is supported by the UK-China collaborative research project 'Low carbon climate-responsive Heating and Coolingof Cities (LoHCool)' supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EPSRC [grant number: EP/N009797/1] and
the National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC [grant number: 51561135002]. The research is associated with the National Key R&D Program of China 'Solutions to Heating and Cooling of Buildings in the Yangtze River Region' [grant number: 2016YFC0700300].

Keywords

Architecture and the built environment

Access to Document

10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.02.029

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.02.029

Cite this

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title = "Effectiveness of the thermal mass of external walls on residential buildings for part-time part-space heating and cooling using the state-space method",

abstract = "A high-resolution time interval numerical model is more accurate to analyze the building dynamic thermophysical processes in the intermittent occupancy, while relevant professional software, such as EnergyPlus, is not compatible with different time intervals. The present study aims to investigate the thermal mass effectiveness of external walls on the part-time part-space operation of heating and cooling of a typical residence. A high-resolution model of a typical 3-occupant residential apartment has been developed using the state-space method and validated by the simulation results from EnergyPlus. The model is then amended to calculate building energy demands with fixed heat and cold supply powers from the perspective of system control, in order to interpret the effectiveness of thermal mass with identical recommended U-value in the HSCW (Hot Summer and Cold Winter) zone in terms of room operative temperatures. It is found that high thermal mass does not help to reduce ideal building loads in the residential buildings in the HSCW zone, but it will improve indoor thermal comfort control in real engineering compared to low thermal mass. Regarding thermal insulation placements of heavy weight external walls under the same thermal mass, it is evidenced that the adoption of internal insulation weakens the thermal mass impact of the heavy weight wall composition compared to that of external insulation. It is inferred that the high thermal mass in the composition of external walls should be exposed to the indoor air to avoid overheating in the cooling conditions.",

keywords = "Architecture and the built environment",

author = "Jie Deng and Runming Yao and Wei Yu and Qiulei Zhang and Baizhan Li",

note = "Note: The research work is supported by the UK-China collaborative research project 'Low carbon climate-responsive Heating and Coolingof Cities (LoHCool)' supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EPSRC [grant number: EP/N009797/1] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC [grant number: 51561135002]. The research is associated with the National Key R\&D Program of China 'Solutions to Heating and Cooling of Buildings in the Yangtze River Region' [grant number: 2016YFC0700300].",

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AU - Zhang, Qiulei

AU - Li, Baizhan

N1 - Note: The research work is supported by the UK-China collaborative research project 'Low carbon climate-responsive Heating and Coolingof Cities (LoHCool)' supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EPSRC [grant number: EP/N009797/1] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC [grant number: 51561135002]. The research is associated with the National Key R&D Program of China 'Solutions to Heating and Cooling of Buildings in the Yangtze River Region' [grant number: 2016YFC0700300].

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Y1 - 2019/5/1

N2 - A high-resolution time interval numerical model is more accurate to analyze the building dynamic thermophysical processes in the intermittent occupancy, while relevant professional software, such as EnergyPlus, is not compatible with different time intervals. The present study aims to investigate the thermal mass effectiveness of external walls on the part-time part-space operation of heating and cooling of a typical residence. A high-resolution model of a typical 3-occupant residential apartment has been developed using the state-space method and validated by the simulation results from EnergyPlus. The model is then amended to calculate building energy demands with fixed heat and cold supply powers from the perspective of system control, in order to interpret the effectiveness of thermal mass with identical recommended U-value in the HSCW (Hot Summer and Cold Winter) zone in terms of room operative temperatures. It is found that high thermal mass does not help to reduce ideal building loads in the residential buildings in the HSCW zone, but it will improve indoor thermal comfort control in real engineering compared to low thermal mass. Regarding thermal insulation placements of heavy weight external walls under the same thermal mass, it is evidenced that the adoption of internal insulation weakens the thermal mass impact of the heavy weight wall composition compared to that of external insulation. It is inferred that the high thermal mass in the composition of external walls should be exposed to the indoor air to avoid overheating in the cooling conditions.

AB - A high-resolution time interval numerical model is more accurate to analyze the building dynamic thermophysical processes in the intermittent occupancy, while relevant professional software, such as EnergyPlus, is not compatible with different time intervals. The present study aims to investigate the thermal mass effectiveness of external walls on the part-time part-space operation of heating and cooling of a typical residence. A high-resolution model of a typical 3-occupant residential apartment has been developed using the state-space method and validated by the simulation results from EnergyPlus. The model is then amended to calculate building energy demands with fixed heat and cold supply powers from the perspective of system control, in order to interpret the effectiveness of thermal mass with identical recommended U-value in the HSCW (Hot Summer and Cold Winter) zone in terms of room operative temperatures. It is found that high thermal mass does not help to reduce ideal building loads in the residential buildings in the HSCW zone, but it will improve indoor thermal comfort control in real engineering compared to low thermal mass. Regarding thermal insulation placements of heavy weight external walls under the same thermal mass, it is evidenced that the adoption of internal insulation weakens the thermal mass impact of the heavy weight wall composition compared to that of external insulation. It is inferred that the high thermal mass in the composition of external walls should be exposed to the indoor air to avoid overheating in the cooling conditions.

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ER -

Effectiveness of the thermal mass of external walls on residential buildings for part-time part-space heating and cooling using the state-space method

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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