Transparent insulations. Cold-region applications

摘要

The study was carried out to determine the properties of various transparent insulation materials and the performance of wall structures comprising transparent insulation materials and to investigate the performance of a number of experimental walls in full-scale tests in actual service conditions. The thermal stability range of currently available transparent insulation materials made of plastic is 80-125 deg C. It is necessary to have sufficient thermal mass and thermal conductivity of the wall in order to be able to maintain the temperature of the insulation within this range. Another option is an active application, there excessive thermal energy is removed from the wall by means of the air in the air gap or liquid in a liquid absorber. The need for heating energy in buildings reaches its peak in midwinter when solar radiation is at its lowest. Passive structures perform best in the spring and autumn and can lead to overheating problems in summer, which, however, can be controlled by the means of shading. At best, passive structures account for 10 % of the annual energy consumption at a building. Another potential application is the use of transparent thermal insulation for preheating of domestic hot water. Water consumption remains more or less constant around the year. Such a design would yield about 50 % of energy required for heating of domestic water.