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Optimum insulation thickness of external walls by integrating indoor moisture buffering effect: a case study in the hot-summer-cold-winter zone of China

结合室内湿缓冲效应的外墙最佳保温层厚度: 中国夏热冬冷地区的案例研究

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Abstract

In the high-humidity, hot-summer-cold-winter (HSCW) zone of China, the moisture buffering effect in the envelope is found to be significant in optimum insulation thickness. However, few studies have considered the effects of indoor moisture buffering on the optimum insulation thickness and energy consumption. In this study, we considered the energy load of an exterior wall under moisture transfer from the outdoor to the indoor environment. An optimum insulation thickness was obtained by integrating the P1P2 model. A residential building was selected for the case study to verify the proposed method. Finally, a comparison was made with two other widely used methods, namely the transient heat transfer model (TH) and the coupled heat and moisture transfer model (CHM). The results indicated that the indoor moisture buffering effect on the optimum insulation thickness is 2.54 times greater than the moisture buffering effect in the envelope, and the two moisture buffering effects make opposing contributions to the optimum insulation thickness. Therefore, when TH or CHM was used without considering the indoor moisture buffering effect, the optimum insulation thickness of the southern wall under one air change per hour (1 ACH) and 100% normal heat source may be overestimated by 2.13% to 3. 59%, and the annual energy load on a single wall may be underestimated by 10.10% to 11.44%. The decrease of airtightness and the increase of indoor heat sources may result in a slight reduction of optimum insulation thickness. This study will enable professionals to consider the effects of moisture buffering on the design of insulation thickness.

Abstract

目的

探讨室内和外墙中的湿缓冲效应对外墙最佳保温层厚度的影响, 提高夏热冬冷地区外墙最佳保温层厚度的预测精度。

创新点

1. 通过结合热湿耦合传递模型和室内热湿环境模型, 构建考虑室内湿缓冲效应的最佳保温层厚度优化方法; 2. 获得室内湿缓冲对最佳保温层厚度的影响规律及与外墙湿缓冲的对抗关系。

方法

1. 通过理论分析, 构建水分从室外环境转移至室内环境时的外墙能量负荷, 并得到最佳保温层厚度的优化方法(图1); 2. 通过案例研究, 得到气密性和室内热源对最佳保温层厚度的影响(图6); 3. 通过优化方法间的对比, 探讨室内湿缓冲和外墙湿缓冲对最佳保温层厚度的影响。

结论

1. 室内湿缓冲效应对最佳保温层厚度的影响是围护结构外墙中湿缓冲效应的2.54倍, 而且这两种湿缓冲效应对最佳保温厚度的贡献相反。2. 在每小时换气一次(1 ACH)和100%正常热源条件下, 南墙的最佳保温厚度可能被高估了2.13%~3.59%, 而单面墙的年能量负荷可能被低估了10.10%~11.44%; 在同属夏热冬冷地区的不同城市中, 外墙湿缓冲的影响差异较大。3. 气密性的降低和室内热源的增加会导致最佳保温厚度的轻微降低。

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51978623 and 52076189).

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Correspondence to Zi-tao Yu  (俞自涛).

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Author contributions

Yan-hao FENG: investigation, conceptualization, data curation, methodology, software, validation, and writing—original draft. Zi-tao YU: project administration, supervision, and writing—review & editing. Jiang LU: project administration, supervision, and writing—review & editing. Xu XU: supervision.

Conflict of interest

Yan-hao FENG, Zi-tao YU, Jiang LU, and Xu XU declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Optimum insulation thickness of external walls by integrating indoor moisture buffering effect: a case study in the hot-summer-cold-winter zone of China

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Feng, Yh., Yu, Zt., Lu, J. et al. Optimum insulation thickness of external walls by integrating indoor moisture buffering effect: a case study in the hot-summer-cold-winter zone of China. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. A 23, 998–1012 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.A2200158

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.A2200158

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