Investigating the thermal efficiency of commercially available thermo-foils in Sri Lanka

The thermo-foil is an insulation material which can be used to insulate roofs of residential buildings which causes less energy to accomplish a comfortable temperature inside the building. It’s becoming popular in Sri Lankan building construction sector. In this research, an investigation of the efficiency of the thermo-foils is done for commonly used brands. The important thermal properties are analyzed for thermo-foils with a thickness of 3mm, 5mm and 8mm and it is tested using a miniature building model for the further evaluation of the efficiency. It was observed that the aluminium layer of the thermo-foil could reflect most of the radiation back and the polyethylene foam layer could keep a temperature gradient of a few degrees. A temperature drop of 1.6 to 2.8 degrees was noted. The results obtained were discussed with an analysis of the thermal insulation properties. A heat transfer model for a residential building was also proposed.

Keywords: Thermo – foils; Thermal conductivity; polyethylene foam; roof insulation

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/josuk.v6i0.4217

J Sci.Univ.Kelaniya 6 (2011) : 01-12