Heat Flow through Soils and Effects on Thermal Storage Cycle in High-Mass Structures

Abstract

The solar radiation absorbed in massive building components is stored and later emitted as long-wave thermal radiation into the interior space. Heat storage capacity is directly related to the mass of the building envelope surrounding this space and particularly that of high-mass, homogeneous earthen or cementitious material. A thermal storage cycle is created by the time-lag effect if sufficient mass is available. A similar strategy applied to the lunar and/or Martian regolith would provide a surface structure with micrometeorite and radiation protection, thermal insulation, and natural supplemental heat energy that would significantly reduce the energy requirements met by mechanical equipment. HEAT2 is an energy simulation program that solves heat transfer problems using the partial differential heat conduction equation in two dimensions with the method of explicit finite differences. HEAT2 simulation data suggests that, although thermal mass is most suitable for climates where desired indoor temperatur...