ZEMCH 2019 International Conference Proceedings April.2020 | Page 144
Thermal Performance of Vacuum Insulated Window
Shutter Systems
Arman Hashemi 1, *, Mahmood Alam 1 and Eugene Mohareb 2
1 School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK, BN2 4GJ
School of Construction Management and Engineering, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6WA
* Correspondence: [email protected]
2
Abstract: Windows are a major area of heat loss in buildings losing up to 10 times more energy
compared to other building elements. Thermal shutters are used to improve the energy performance
of windows in both hot and cold climatic conditions. The performance of thermal shutters however
greatly depends on the thermal insulation and construction detailing, specifically cold‐bridging,
through the shutter, as well as between the shutter and window frames. This study evaluates the
effects of cold‐bridging, trickle ventilation and the size of the air cavity, between the vacuum insulated
shutter and the window, on the performance of window thermal shutters. Thermal simulations are
conducted in VOLTRA (Thermal analysis software) to assess the conditions. The results indicate that
although thermal shutters reduce heat‐loss through windows, their performance could be
significantly affected by cold‐bridging by up to 90%. The additional thermal resistance due to the air
cavity and the ventilation through the trickle vent appeared to be much less significant compared to
the effects of thermal bridging.
Keywords: Windows; Thermal Shutter; Vacuum Insulation; Thermal Bridging; Heat Loss
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ZEMCH 2019 International Conference l Seoul, Korea