Numerical modeling and experimental investigations of thermal performance of reflective insulations

Reflective insulations are being used in attics, flat roof, and wall systems. Numerical modeling and experimental investigations were conducted to assess the thermal performance of assemblies with reflective insulations. In this article, the present model was used to verify the use of the ASTM C-518 test method for measuring the effective thermal resistances (R-values) of sample stacks comprising reflective insulations. Two tests were conducted on sample stacks using heat flow meter apparatus. The sample stack consists of two expanded polystyrene layers and a reflective insulation installed in between. The model predictions agreed with the measured heat fluxes within ±1%. The article also discusses the combined effect of heat transfer by convection and radiation in the airspace facing the reflective insulation, showing that the derived R-value from the test data resulted in underestimation of the effective R-value of the sample stack.