SEDL / STP / STP922-EB / STP18497S

An Apparatus for Thermal Performance Measurements of Insulated Roof Systems

Courville, GE
Staff scientists and senior technician, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Childs, KW
Staff scientists and senior technician, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Walukas, DJ
Staff scientists and senior technician, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Childs, PW
Staff scientists and senior technician, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

Griggs, EI
Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN

Pages: 11    Published: Jan 1987

Download this paper for $25 PDF (220K)          View License Agreement
Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy is conducting thermal performance measurements on low-slope roofs with a recently developed field test apparatus at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The apparatus accommodates four 1.2 by 2.4-m (4 by 8-ft) test specimens and includes the measurement capabilities for specimen temperatures, temperature gradients, heat flows, and moisture content. A weather station characterizes outdoor weather conditions. Tests underway include (1) validation of a roof surface temperature model developed to study the effects of wet insulation, (2) measurement of temperature distributions and heat transfer in high R value roofs, and (3) validation of an analysis of the effectiveness of high reflectance surfaces. Preliminary experimental results are presented and correlations between experiment and modeling are discussed.