Design and use of radiant barriers as thermal insulation for high inertia houses in tropical conditions - a case study

Abstract

Paper presented at the 5th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 1-4 July, 2007.This paper deals with the thermal design and performance of a roof-mounted radiant barrier, installed in a high inertia house in tropical and humid conditions. Using dynamic simulations of a mathematical model of a whole house including a radiant barrier installed between the roof slab and the ceiling, the thermal performance of the roof is calculated and the thermal comfort in the house is evaluated using the psychometric chart. The mean method is more particularly used to assess the thermal resistance of the building roof and lead to a value which can be compared to those obtained using mass insulation product such as polyurethane foam or glass wool. The aim of the study is to evaluate the most appropriate technical solution to insulate high inertia roofs of buildings, which can accumulate much energy during the day and create uncomfortable thermal conditions in the late afternoon and during the night in summer tropical conditions.