Numerical Study of Heat and Moisture Transfers for Validation on Bio-Based Building Materials and Walls

Abstract

In this work, we study the two most used mathematical models (Phillip & De Vries model and Kunzel’s model) which describe heat and moisture transfers in porous building materials. These models were implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics and solved numerically with the finite elements method. To validate the representation of the physical phenomena made by the numerical models, results were compared with data obtained by Wufi using a concrete wall. The results indicate that values estimated by both models are relatively in good agreement with those obtained by Wufi especially for temperature, while in humidity variations an underestimation by Phillip and De Vries model was Highlighted. Consequently, results confirm the suitability of these models to be used in further studies in order to predict hygrothermal behaviors of bio-based building materials and walls under various thermal and hygric conditions at different scales.