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Determination of the liquid water diffusivity from transient moisture transfer experiments

Carmeliet, J., Hens, H., Roels, S., Adan, O., Brocken, H., Cerny, R., Pavlik, Z., Hall, C., Kumaran, K. and Pel, L.
2004
Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science, 27(Apr.): 277-305

Carmeliet, J., Hens, H., Roels, S., Adan, O., Brocken, H., Cerny, R., Pavlik, Z., Hall, C., Kumaran, K. and Pel, L., (2004), "Determination of the liquid water diffusivity from transient moisture transfer experiments", Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science, 27(Apr.): 277-305.
Abstract:
The Boltzmann transformation method is used to determine the liquid water diffusivity from moisture content profiles as measured in a capillary water absorption experiment. An inter-laboratory comparison for analyzing the reliability of the determination method showed that the inaccuracy in the liquid water diffusivity is caused by scatter in the transformed data and by uncertainty in the boundary conditions at the intake surface and ahead of the steep moisture front. A methodology is proposed based on (1) the evaluation of the validity of the diffusion approach, (2) a simplified handling of the boundary conditions, (3) smoothing of the scattered data and (4) the evaluation of the quality of the determined liquid water diffusivity. For HAM (Heat-Air-Moisture transport) calculations values of the liquid water diffusivity for moisture contents higher than the capillary moisture content are disregarded. The liquid water diffusivity can be described by an exponential function limited at a lower moisture content bound.

To describe the moisture diffusivity including liquid water and water vapour transports, a new parametric description of the moisture diffusivity is presented, which shows sufficient flexibility both in the hygroscopic and overhygroscopic ranges. When permeability is calculated from diffusivity, the permeability should monotonically increase with decreasing capillary pressure. In the hygroscopic region it should coincide with the measured water vapour permeabilities.

Full author list:

  • J. Carmeliet: Department of Civil Engineering, K.U. Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 51, B-3001 Leuven, Belgiumjan.carmelie@bwk.kuleuven.ac.be,

  • H. Hens,

  • S. Roels Department of Civil Engineering, K.U. Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 51, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium,
  • O. Adan,
  • H. BrockenTNO Building and Construction Research, P.O. Box 49, 2600 AA Delft, The Netherlands,
  • R. Cerny,

  • Z. Pavlik,

  • Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Structural Mechanics, Czech Technical University, Thakurova 7, CZ-16629 Prague 6, Czech Republic,
  • C. Hall,
  • Centre for Materials Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JL, UK,
  • K. Kumaran,
  • Institute for Research in Construction, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa ON K1A 0R6, Canada,
  • L. Pel,
  • Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands,
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This publication in whole or part may be found online at: This link was checked on Dec. 2006here.
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Author Information and Other Publications Notes
Carmeliet, J.
Department of Civil Engineering Laboratory of Building Physics, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
  1. A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials
  2. A multiscale network model for simulating moisture transfer properties of porous media
  3. A review of wind-driven rain research in building science
  4. A simplified numerical model for rainwater runoff on building facades: Possibilities and limitations
  5. Conservative modelling of the moisture and heat transfer in building components under atmospheric excitation
  6. Description of the moisture capacity of building materials
  7. Determination of the isothermal moisture transport properties of porous building materials
  8. Determination of the moisture capacity of porous building materials
  9. Driving rain on building envelopes II: representative experimental data for driving rain estimation
  10. Microscopic analysis of imbibition processes in oolitic limestone
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Hens, H.
Department of Civil Engineering, Laboratory of Building Physics, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium http://www.bwk.kuleuven.ac.be/bwf/e_hugohens.htm
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  20. The influence of soil moisture in the unsaturated zone on the heat loss from buildings via the ground  
Roels, S.
Department of Civil Engineering Laboratory of Building Physics Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium
  1. A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials
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  3. A quasi-steady state implementation of air convection in a transient heat and moisture building component model
  4. Description of the moisture capacity of building materials
  5. Determination of the isothermal moisture transport properties of porous building materials
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  7. Impact, absorption and evaporation of raindrops on building facades
  8. In situ determination of the moisture buffer potential of room enclosures
  9. Microscopic analysis of imbibition processes in oolitic limestone
  10. Modeling fluid flow in fractured media using continuum, network and discrete aproaches
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  14. Simulating non-isothermal water vapour transfer: an experimental validation on multi-layered building components
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Adan, O.
TNO Building and Construction Research P.O. Box 49 2600 AA Delft The Netherlands
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Brocken, H.
  1. A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials
  2. Determination of liquid water transfer properties of porous building materials and development of numerical assessment methods: introduction to the ec hamstad project  
Cerny, R.
Department of Structural Mechanics, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University, Th¨¢kurova 7, 166 29 Prague 6, Czech Republic
  1. A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials
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  3. A transient method for measuring the water vapor diffusion in porous building materials
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Pavlik, Z.
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Hall, C.
  1. A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials  
Kumaran, K.
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  3. Final report from task 7 of MEWS long-term performance: predict the moisture management performance of wall systems as a function of climate, material properties, etc. through mathematical modelling
  4. Final Report from Task 8 of MEWS Project (T8-03) - Hygrothermal Response of Exterior Wall Systems to Climate Loading: Methodology and Interpretation of Results for Stucco, EIFS, Masonry and Siding Clad Wood-Frame Walls
  5. Influence of air space on multi-layered material water vapor permeability measurement
  6. Influence of sheathing membrane and vapour barrier on hygrothermnal response of stucco walls
  7. Integrated analysis of whole building heat, air and moisture transfer
  8. Modeling moisture accumulation in multi-layered building materials, MODELING MOISTURE IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS WITH A MULTIZONE IAQ PROGRAM
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  11. Summary Report from Task 3 of MEWS Project at the Institute for Research in Construction - Hygrothermal Properties of Several Building Materials
  12. Transient model for coupled heat, air and moisture transfer through multilayered porous media  
Pel, L.
  1. A comparison of different techniques to quantify moisture content profiles in porous building materials
  2. Moisture transport in porous building materials  


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