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Fundamentals: Thermal mass explained

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2010 edited
     
    I just came across a very useful and clear document explaining thermal mass, decrement delay, admittance values and so on. It's called 'thermal Mass Explained' and is published by the Concrete Centre, an industry body for concrete producers and users. Obviously their underlying emphasis is to get concrete designed in to everything but nevertheless the document is the clearest and most complete explanation I've seen yet, and can be downloaded with having to sign up to anything. Definitely worth a read.

    http://www.concretecentre.com/online_services/publication_library/publication_details.aspx?PublicationId=681

    They also have a thermal mass calculator (a spreadsheet) which I haven't tried yet, but may also be useful.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2010
     
    Pooh, It's demanding that I create an account to download. So I haven't.

    Why don't site owners understand that I really don't want any more accounts, even "free", with the ability to SPAM me or leak passwords, or whatever? %-P

    Rgds

    Damon
    • CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2010
     
    What Damon said
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2010
     
    Yes, they want me to create an account, I wonder how many I have now.

    Can you just upload the document for us all please Wookey.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDamonHD
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2010
     
    Nah, that's not reasonable unless they've put it in the public domain.

    They should simply realise that if they want people to read their propaganda then make it really *freely* available...

    Rgds

    Damon
    • CommentAuthorTimber
    • CommentTimeDec 13th 2010
     
    I am pretty sure that I have read that document, and (as I would say) is too biassed for my liking.

    Pretty much the only documents I will read on the subject are published by 3rd parties with no specific adgenda.

    Timber
    • CommentAuthorseascape
    • CommentTimeDec 14th 2010
     
    Thanks Wookey have ordered 3 different copies about thermal mass. Hopefully I won't get spammed/will start to understand about thermal mass/will be aware of bias/will make a decision about my uninsulated concrete raft foundation in conjunction with info I have gleaned from this forum and others!
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeDec 14th 2010 edited
     
    OK. Sorry about the incorrect 'no login' info - I must have acquired (yet another) account somehow without noticing. As my contribution to the wikileaks ethos in information dissemination the doc is now here: http://wookware.org/files/MB_Thermal_Mass_Explained_Feb09.pdf
    they can sue me if they like :-)

    Do all complain to them about the stupid downloading requirements - companies need to hear how much we all hate it.
  9.  
    Thanks Wookey - it's already spreading, have sent it on to 2 people. It is a good doc, biased, but obviously, so it is perfectly usable.
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeDec 14th 2010
     
    Timber - obviously it is talking about thermal mass in the context of concrete, and uses that in the the examples, but I thought it was interesting for the explanations, and accurate. Is there anything actually wrong in there? I didn't feel that it was unduly biased. Concrete is quite a normal way of putting thermal mass in a building if you want some.
    • CommentAuthorGotanewlife
    • CommentTimeDec 14th 2010 edited
     
    No, it is not unduly biased depending on the type of question you are trying to answer, eg if you are answering the question "OK, so how does my 'massive' house work?" that's great, as opposed to "Now, do I want a heavy house or a light house?" not so great. I like it, though actually I could also use the next level up in complexity - but still without calculus!
    • CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeDec 15th 2010
     
    I finally found the documents about dynamic heat transmission through walls that I had lost for a while:

    DYNAMIC THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF SIMPLE MULTILAYER WALL ASSEMBLIES
    http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/research/detailed_papers/thermal/dynamic.html

    INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENTS OF THERMAL MASS AND INSULATION ON DYNAMIC THERMAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLANE WALLS
    http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/research/detailed_papers/effects/influence.htm

    Theoretical Concept of Equivalent Wall
    http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/research/detailed_papers/theoretical/equivalent.html

    and more general with less integration signs:
    Thermal Performance and Wall Ratings
    http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/articles/wallratings/index.html

    Enjoy :bigsmile: :devil:
  13.  
    Nothing too outragous, quite informative.

    One of the best and simplest explanations on thermal mass versus insulation that I ever read made the point that insulation stops the transfer of thermal energy but cannot hold it itself, where as mass can hold thermal energy but transefers it easily. So you need the mass to hold on to it and the insulation to stop it moving/transfering.

    Its a shame they didnt include this in their report.

    They also skip over any mention of humidity in their light weight versus heavy weight arguments.

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