Thermochemical Reactions to enable Adaptive Building Insulation and Thermal Component Activation

Kurzfassung

The thermal activation of existing building masses can substantially enhance the energy efficiency of buildings by utilizing them as thermal energy storage. To accomplish this, it's crucial to manage the heat transfer across the large components like walls or ceilings. This can be realized by applying a controllable insulation layer, which merges the gas pressure-dependent thermal conductivity of porous structures with reversible gas-solid-reactions. The heat transfer mechanism in porous insulation materials is primarily influenced by the Knudsen effect, which characterizes the S-shaped thermal conductivity based on the prevailing gas pressure in the insulation panel. By using thermochemical materials, the gas pressure in the vacuum insulation panel can be accurately regulated along the equilibrium line by modifying the reaction temperature. This facilitates precise control of the heat flux through the insulation panel and allows the thermal activation of building masses. The thermochemical reactor is a crucial component in the comprehensive adaptive insulation system. The contribution will present a new reactor concept that addresses the key challenges of precise pressure adjustment, system dynamics, and energy efficiency and furthermore the experimental integration of the reactor in a lab-scale controllable insulation system will be shown.