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Development of a Portable Solar Calorimeter System Used to Characterize Fenestration Systems
Xie, Kun
Xie, Kun
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Abstract
In architecture, a fenestration system is the arrangement and proportioning of transparent surfaces in a building, most notably windows, curtain walls, glass doors, and skylights. In terms of heat transfer from the outdoors to the indoors, and vice-versa, through building envelopes, fenestration systems embody elements with more complex heat transfer mechanisms relative to other components (e.g., opaque walls, roofs, etc.). Understanding and improving the energy performance of fenestration systems would result in higher building energy efficiency and management, which would also result in significant reductions in space cooling and heating energy consumption in buildings. Furthermore, reductions in energy use are linked to reduction in CO2 emissions and thus reduce global warming. The main objective of this dissertation was to design, construct, and validate a solar calorimeter to measure SHGCs of different single-sheet glasses. With modification, the solar calorimeter described here could be used to estimate the SHGCs of several other types of architectural glazing. For this dissertation, a portable solar calorimeter (“calorimeter”) was designed, constructed, and calibrated to be used to determine the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of architectural glass2 sheets used in fenestration systems. The calorimeter was designed to be portable, with a fast response, and with the capability to be used in both indoor and outdoor environments. For the calorimeter to be used in indoor environments, a solar simulator was also designed and built. For the calorimeter to be used outdoors, a customized solar tracking system was designed, built, and installed on the calorimeter stand to keep the test specimens in a position perpendicular (normal) to the direct beam of solar radiation during testing. The SHGC was determined through the solution of energy balance calculations around the calorimeter box. The produced SHGCs compared very favorably with values found in the literature. The average SHGC obtained for a 6 mm (1/4 in) clear glass was 0.791. With the combined uncertainty calculated for the SHGC, the average SHGC was 0.791 ± 0.03. The maximum difference between the obtained SHGC and others found in the open literature was -3.16% (-0.025 in absolute terms). The solar calorimeter will support further student research and five courses in the Architectural Engineering curriculum at the University of Kansas. The courses are Building Materials Science (ARCE 350), Building Material Science, Honors (ARCE 351), Building Thermal Science (ARCE 660), Building Thermal Science, Honors (ARCE 670), and Energy Management (ARCE 663).
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Date
2022-05-31
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University of Kansas
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Agriculture engineering,