Thermal analysis of a wooden door system with integrated vacuum insulation panels

A wooden door leaf with two integrated vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) was investigated both experimentally and numerically. The main goal of this study was to determine the impact of damaged vacuum insulation panels on the thermal performance of the overall door system. Since the metal fittings act as thermal bridges in a highly insulating system, special attention was given to this effect. Comparison of the measured and calculated results reported here permit assessment of the feasibility of providing a reasonably accurate prediction of these thermal effects using the finite difference method. Additionally, an infrared imaging system was used to validate the computed temperature distribution on the surface. This investigation form part of the research programme “High Performance Thermal Insulation in Buildings and Building Systems” of the International Energy Agency (IEA).