Richard Slávik

Obtainable Method of Measuring the Solar Radiant Flux Based on Silicone Photodiode Element

Solar radiation exposure and its monitoring does have not only the importance for climate science and meteorology however is equally of highly relevant use for the field of Building Science as primarily those of analyzing thermal aspects in building physics. Here the measuring of solar irradiance by means of well-established solar instruments can be applied whose advances have been undergoing steep progress. Currently, a silicon photodiode element, as a truly obtainable form, may have a feasible exploitation in the field of building applications concerning the solar radiant flux quantifying. It represents a small optoelectronic element and has a several exploitable advantages. The paper presents a perspective alternative to monitor solar irradiance. Own measurement assembly is proposed and introduced. Initial in-situ measurements are performed and final comparability with existing commercial solar instruments is presented. An obtained correlation with existing types demonstrates its applicability to the field of building science and solar energy.

Usage of Raspberry Pi for Temperature and Relative Humidity Measurements and Comparison with HAM Simulation

The temperature and relative humidity measurement in building physics needs special equipment which is often expensive and not available for young researchers. Several programmable platforms are available. This article describes the low-cost solution of temperature and relative humidity measurement using combined Digital Humidity/Temperature sensors and Raspberry Pi as the datalogger. Five lightweight timber frame wall fragments with various thermal insulations and outdoor coating colors were exposed to the real outdoor boundary climate conditions. The indoor boundary conditions were secured as constant. The results of measurement using low cost sensors were compared to values obtained by commercially available thermocouples for scientific use and non-steady HAM simulation in WUFI software.

Experimental Full-Scale Test Cell Optimizing for Research of Novel Concepts towards Climatically Active Solar Façade Design

The passive solar test facilities have recently been created in many research centers all over the world to analyse dynamic outdoor phenomena on buildings and their components. The main objective of these research activities is primarily to evolve a methodology, improve test methods, validate numerical models and measure real thermodynamic properties of building components under outdoor climate conditions. An integration of advanced material solutions into buildings need to be investigated within specific conditions related specifically to outdoor test methods. A research project on Contemporary concepts of climatically active solar facades at the Brno University of Technology does have an ambition to create an experimental full-scale test cell for research of thermal aspects in progressive advances of future solar façade concepts exposed to the real climate conditions. This paper describes the design optimization phase preceding the test cell assembly. This phase includes the analysis of energy and thermal properties based on parametric study features. Computer simulations based on finite element and volume methods are involved in the optimization process. The proposed optimized test cell design is confronted with parametrization of typical thermal aspects to present final test cell demonstration.

Operative Temperature Predicting of a Room in Summer: An Approach for Validating of Empirical Calculation Models

Temperature stability of a room is of a high relevance to achieve an optimal level of built environment. Standardized calculation models of temperature stability are determined by international standard ISO 13792 based on recently developed empirical models whose approximations can finally be applied. It basically describes two models, however both demonstrate approaches that may not have the best conformity when confronted with the reality. Thus the research objective is to point out an applicability of given calculating models. The paper presents a validation proposal with aim to find an applicable correlation related to current methodology. Finally as result of this study, proposed approximations could demonstrate better consequence to the reality.

Comparing Methods for Calculating Thermal Stability of Rooms

The main idea of the article compares methods for the calculation of thermal stability of rooms in wintertime. The article is focused on comparison of an analytical and a numerical method on the sample room and specification of their differences. The main advantage of the analytical method is calculation in arbitrary time from a steady state without calculation of some previous steps. However, the method doesn’t allow a great variability of composition of constructions. The numerical methods depend on previous steps of the calculation, therefore they require many calculations with little time steps. It enables to define of some complex compositions of constructions and complex modelling of an internal state in the room and its changes in time. The determination of difference rate for different methods will verify their suitability for calculation.

Cardboard Based Packaging Materials as Renewable Thermal Insulation of Buildings: Thermal and Life Cycle Performance

Cardboard-based packaging components represent a material that has significant potential as a renewable source for exploitation in buildings. This study presents the results of thermal and environmental analyses of existing packaging materials compared with standard conventional thermal insulations. Experimental measurements were performed to identify the thermal performance of studied cardboard packaging materials. Real-size samples were experimentally tested in laboratory measurements. The thermal resistance and conductivity of all the analyzed samples were measured according to the procedure indicated in the ISO8032 standard. A life-cycle assessment according to ISO 14040 was also performed to evaluate the environmental impacts related to the production of these materials. The results show that cardboard panels are a material with thermal and environmental properties on par with contemporary thermal insulations. Depending on their structure, the measured thermal conductivity varies from 0.05 to 0.12 W·m–1·K–1 and their environmental impacts are much lower than those of polyisocyanurate foam or mineral wool.