This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at El comportamiento térmico en los cerramientos de los edificios

Reynaers incorporates a new tool in their service of facade engineering to calculate the temperature at different times of the day

Thermal behavior in doors and Windows of buildings

Source: Reynaers07/09/2009

September 7, 2009

The project Department of reynaers aluminium incorporates in his service of facade engineering a new feature for the study of the thermal behavior in doors and Windows of buildings. The system is based on the taking of snapshots Thermographic that allow analyzing the temperature of each zone of the facade.

Thermography is a system that is already used it for a long time in other fields such as electronics, mechanics, medicine, etc. Now, Reynaers, incorporates this technology for the control of behaviour both of their systems of carpentry and curtain walls, as for the elements that surround them.

Thermographic cameras capture infrared signals that emits the object to be analyzed, by assigning a different color to each of these signals in order to show an image of colors where each color indicates a temperature. This type of images does not require natural light, which means to use these cameras both night and day.

Example of infrared signals which emits the Thermographic camera.

This system complements the studies of isotherms, commonly used, in a simulated way to establish an approximation of the thermal performance of Windows and doors. If you get a few approximate values in these graphs, with thermography just refine and adjust the results based on the specific characteristics of each carpentry or closure of the building. With real, reliable viewing and focusing on what directly affects the thermal behavior and the temperature of the surfaces, the images show different calorific values to those who are exposed to outside and inside a building.

With a real viewing the images show different calorific values to those who are exposed to outside and inside a building

With this technology any energy leakage in a facade, something that may not be appreciated at a glance by the human eye and without interfering or create discomfort in the daily life of users can be analysed in a safe manner.

The window is the first and the most basic of solar collectors of any building.

Fields of application

Fields of application of this technology in the facades are many and we stress the following:

-Analysis of the general behaviour of the facades.

-Comparison of the different elements of the façade, both external and internal temperatures.

-Verification of the efficiency of the insulation of the facade.

-Verification of the correct application of the insulation elements of the façade.

-Detection of thermal bridges.

-Comparison between areas and/or more or less isolated closings.

-Verification of the correct Union between framework and work.

-Verification of the correct manufacture and installation of doors and Windows (air leakage, thermal bridges,...).

-Detection of cracks and leaks in facades.

-Detection of inner walls or opaque areas pipelines.

-Impact of piping in the walls.

-Research and development of new materials or new compositions of materials.

-Heat flow studies.

-Help to establish and optimize costs, the placement and the effectiveness of air conditioning equipment.

-Study of refractory.

-Prediction of possible movements due to the dilatations.

-Decrease of performances by reduction in the time of repair and maintenance.

With this technology, any type of energy leaks in a facade, something that may not be appreciated at a glance by the human eye can analyze securely

It is essential to take into account the design window or the parts that allow the input of solar radiation.

Conclusions

1. The window is the first and the most basic of solar collectors of any building. However, the window, the hollow, in the façade becomes, generally, the weakest element in terms of lost heat. This data is very important and the implications of the gap in energy consumption over the life of the building can be measured with thermography.

Currently, and focusing on residential buildings include the costs of energy of housing according to their share:

-Air conditioning (46%).

-Uses eletrodomésticos (21%).

-Production of hot water (18%).

-Cooking (8%).

-Lighting (7%).

2. A window does not behave like around its perimeter. The passage of energy through the gap is not uniform in all sections of the window. The differences are not negligible and it is worth to be taken into account.

3. It is important to supplement the gaps with mechanisms of control of the radiation that help control throughout the solar cycle for any time of the year, as for example, with systems of lamas cantilever or with 'brise soleils' vertical of lamas mobile or fixed.

4. It is essential to take into account the design window or the parts that allow the input of solar radiation. The holes in the walls must be properly designed (dimensions, forms,...) and oriented. Like the mass where affects radiation (as a manifold and radiator of energy), depending on what you provide each of the guidelines, try a distribution of interior spaces that will take them into account and to make full use of the characteristics of the openings in the facade.