Dariusz Alterman1; Adrian W. Page2; Congcong Zhang3 and Behdad Moghtaderi4
1 Senior Research Fellow, The University of Newcastle, Priority Research Centre for Frontier Energy Technologies & Utilisation, Australia, dariusz.alterman@newcastle.edu.au
2 Professor Emeritus, The University of Newcastle, Priority Research Centre for Frontier Energy Technologies & Utilisation, Australia, adrian.page@newcastle.edu.au
3 Research Assistant, The University of Newcastle, Priority Research Centre for Frontier Energy Technologies & Utilisation, Australia, congcong.zhang@uon.edu.au
4 Professor, The University of Newcastle, Priority Research Centre for Frontier Energy Technologies & Utilisation, Australia, behdad.moghtaderi@newcastle.edu.au
ABSTRACT
This paper gives an overview of a new approach to the thermal testing and design of Australian walling systems under dynamic temperature conditions. The analysis utilises the dynamic response
of the walls to moderate the effect of the temperature variations which occur under typical Australian conditions. The paper shows how to best balance the amount of thermal mass and insulation in housing using dynamic procedures. The thermal mass acts as a temperature regulator producing less interior fluctuations under the external temperature extremes, whilst the addition of insulation also produces more desirable interior temperatures than those for non-insulated walls whilst also moderating the interior temperature changes. The manner in which the appropriate configuration of thermal mass and insulation influences the performance is also discussed. The suggested testing procedure is a significant advance in the assessment of the thermal performance of masonry and other walling systems. This approach also provides a means of determining how much thermal mass is required to obtain comfortable conditions for the occupants of existing housing.
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