A building corner model for hygrothermal performance and mould growth risk analyses
Santosa, G. H. d., Mendesa, N. and Philippib, P. C.
2009 International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 52(21-22): 4862-4872
Coupled heat; Air and moisture transfer; Mould growth risk; Building corner simulation
Santosa, G. H. d., Mendesa, N. and Philippib, P. C., (2009), "A building corner model for hygrothermal performance and mould growth risk analyses", International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 52(21-22): 4862-4872.
Abstract:
Combined multidimensional analysis of heat, air and moisture transport through porous building elements is barely explored in the literature due to many difficulties such as modeling complexity, computer run time, numerical convergence and highly moisture-dependent properties. In this way, a mathematical model considering a combined two-dimensional heat, air and moisture transport through unsaturated building upper corners is presented. In order to improve the discretized model numerical stability, the algebraic equations are simultaneously solved for the three driving potentials: temperature, vapor pressure and moist air pressure gradients. In the results section, the convective effects caused by air stagnation are analyzed in terms of heat flux and mould growth risk for different boundary conditions, showing the importance of a detailed hygrothermal analysis ¨C which is normally disregarded by simulation tools ¨C for accurately predicting building energy consumption, indoor air quality, thermal comfort or mould growth risk.
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