Calibration of a Calorimeter for Thermal Resistance Measurements of Advanced Insulation Panels.
Calibration of a Calorimeter for Thermal Resistance
Measurements of Advanced Insulation Panels.
(1062 K)
Ellis, M. W.; Fanney, A. H.; Davis, M. W.
HVAC&R Research, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1-12, July 2000.
Keywords:
calorimeters; thermal insulation; thermal resistance;
insulating materials; polystyrene; heat transfer;
equations; temperature; uncertainty
Abstract:
Insulation technologies are being developed to reduce
the energy consumption associated with refrigerators,
freezers, and the transport of refrigerated products.
Among the insulation concepts being explored are powder,
foam, glass-fiber-filled evacuated panels, and
low-conductivity gas-filled panels. These advanced
insulation panels offer the potential for significant
reductions in energy consumption and greater flexibility
in product design. Unfortunately, the equipment used to
determine the thermal resistance of traditional
building, insulation materials is not well suited for
measuring the thermal resistance of advanced insulation
panels. This paper describes a calorimetric apparatus to
measure the thermal resistance of advanced insulation
materials. It presents the procedures used to determine
the thermal resistance of advanced insulation panels,
and compares the calorimetric results to measurements
from the guarded hot plate for extruded polystyrene
specimens. The measurements agree to within 3% over a
mean temperature range of 280 to 295 K.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899