A methodology for experimental evaluations of low-e barriers thermal properties: Field tests and comparison with theoretical models

An open-air experimental apparatus was built to define a common procedure for the thermal properties evaluation of low-e barriers, whose performance in static and dynamic conditions is still an object of debate. The structure hosts a movable wall where single layers can be substituted, allowing the defining of the properties of the system radiant barrier-air gaps, independently of the rest of stratigraphy. The steady-state results have been compared with other methods commonly used for low-e materials such as the guarded hot plate, the hot box method, and the theoretical analysis based on hemispherical emissivity measurements, showing a good agreement among the different approaches. The transient analysis demonstrated that the proposed experimental apparatus permits the direct definition of the radiant barrier dynamic properties, through a previous characterization of the structure without the low-e panel. In fact, when the panel is installed, the performance of the sole package panel-air gaps is easily obtained reducing the errors due to the interference of the rest of the stratigraphy.