Energy flux calculation by buoyancy principle in a lime mortar ventilated cavity

Abstract

Ventilated façades substantially improve thermal insulating in hot climates in comparison to similar one layer solutions. The use of low absorptance finishings reduces the thermal radiation load, but the implications in the stack effect are not studied on certain materials. The following paper studies natural convection inside the ventilated air duct with different prototypes of finishings. The densities inside and outside the cavity are achieved with the psychometrics properties of the air. The thrust is calculated by means of the buoyancy principle, allowing the accurate determination of the airflow direction and intensity in real external conditions. The tests with lime mortar panels show descending currents widely, unlike most of ventilated façades.