Date of Award

Spring 1984

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Program/Concentration

Mechanical Engineering

Committee Director

A. Sidney Roberts, Jr.

Committee Member

Robert L. Ash

Committee Member

Sushil K. Chaturvedi

Call Number for Print

Special Collections; LD4331.E56H87

Abstract

A newly erected University Police Safety Building on the campus was constructed with passive solar design features. The slab-on-grade brick building has 3081 square feet of conditioned space, an ample south-facing solar aperture with clerestory and an air-to-air heat pump system. A comparative winter heat load assessment has been made in order to determine the fraction of the heat load which can be met by the winter sun (Norfolk, VA 37°N Latitude), and more importantly to probe differences which result when various heat load estimating methods are employed. Techniques employed included the degree day method·, bin method with and with out credit for solar input, the passive load-collector ratio (LCR) method, a combined LCR-absorbed radiation, degree day method, and finally a customized electrical network modeling analysis. A number of interesting conclusions can be drawn from the study, including the realization that inadequacies exist in the load-modeling process. The thermal mass of the building is low; not more than 29 percent of the winter (January) heat load can be supplied via direct gain through the south-facing windows. It was interesting to learn that horizontal reflectors placed on the roof, south of the clerestory windows, would produce a 15 percent increase in the fraction of load delivered by solar input, and that R-9 night insulation placed on the windows would decrease heat loss from the windows by 60 percent. From the bin method and simulation analysis the installed beat pumps appear to be oversized. It can also be seen that the passive solar building, with the floor as thermal mass, will increase heat loss from the floor as compared with a conventional building. The computer simulation results for January enable a favorable comparison with the other methods.

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DOI

10.25777/0pyt-bj74

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