Calculation of the thermal response of buildings by the total thermal time constant method

Abstract

This paper describes the theoretical development and experimental proof of the total thermal time constant ( TTTC) method for calculation of the thermal response of buildings. The output is obtained in the form of time sequences of temperature, under given time-variation of internal heating load, or in the form of time dependent heating (or cooling) loads, under given patterns of internal temperature variation in time. TTTC method considers ventilation conditions, internal heating, metabolic heat production, cooling, solar radiation absorption on, and longwave i.r. radiation loss from, the external surfaces, solar radiation penetration through windows and the external air temperature and humidity variations in time. The main feature of this method is that each component of the building is represented here, as a heat transfer path, only by two easy to calculate numbers: the thermal resistance and the TTTC (this includes thermal resistances and heat capacities and their relative position in the heat transfer path, including partitions and ceilings) [ 1–3]. The two parameters characterize the influence of the element on the thermal response of a building as a whole. Experimental demonstration of the accuracy of the TTTC method in computing the thermal response of buildings is presented and compared with measured temperature time patterns both in models and actual buildings under various external conditions. The method is useful not only for the thermal design of buildings and the selection of building materials, but also for the design of passive methods of climatization, e.g. by the use of solar radiation for heating, and conversely, the cooling of a structure by longwave radiation loss (to the outer space through the atmosphere) and by ventilation. Thermal storage and insulation properties are also considered.