Date of Graduation
2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
Kenneth H Means
Committee Co-Chair
Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan
Committee Member
Terence Musho
Abstract
Physical energy audits and interventional methods cannot sustain the increasing demand of assessing the effectiveness of existing thermal insulation in households. As for now, there does not exist a sufficiently accurate remote technology or method to assess the efficiency of a thermal envelope. Usually, the energy bills and the age of the furnace are good indicators of the performance of insulation in houses. To overcome the lack of availability of a proper framework to calculate the effectiveness of the thermal envelope, a standard methodology using multiple linear regression and temperature data acquired from a house has been developed. The major aim of the experiment was to develop a model equation which will assess the effectiveness of insulation in a house in West Virginia. If developed futher, the model will be a very useful tool for energy auditors and consultants to help house owners understand the behavior of thermal insulation in their house.;The model requires four variables for input which are: 1) area of the house, 2) number of people in the house, 3) temperature difference (inside and ambient) and 4) air changes per hour inside the house. Extensive data acquisition was performed to develop a robust model. The model can now be used with minimum understanding of underlying concepts and can assess the effectiveness of thermal barrier which otherwise is very difficult to determine.
Recommended Citation
Vaish, Prateek, "Developed a Remote Technique to Assess the Effectiveness of Thermal Insulation in Households in West Virginia" (2014). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 6857.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/6857