floor

This paper describes the application of a two-dimensional finite element computer program for predicting the temperatures and heat flux in the floor-slab and ground of industrial buildings. The model was constructed from the SERC's Finite Element Library. The model has been used to predict the steady state heat flux for different ground conditions and floor-slab insulation options, and results are presented.

Increases in the levels of thermal insulation required in the walls and roofs of houses in the U.K. in recent years have meant that heat losses through floors now assume greater significance, as a proportion of the total heat loss from a dwelling. To effect further reductions in the energy consumption of houses, the thermal performance of floors needs to be examined to assess the most cost effective insulation strategy.

The continual reduction of the transmission heat losses of residential buildings causes an increasing importance of the ventilation heat losses. Energy saving can be achieved by using a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. A great improvement is the combination of heating and ventilation in one system. In this project such a combined system was developed to reduce the energy consumption of the fans, the operating expenses and also the investment costs in comparison to existing systems. In future a high market acceptance is expected for combined heating and ventilation systems.