Modeling a Radiant Cooling Test Cell with Different Ua Values

Metal roofs cool down quickly, during the nights, acting as an effective nocturnal radiator directly above the living space. However, during the daytime hours the indoor temperatures in buildings with such often uncomfortably hot. Operable hinged interior insulation plates under the roof can reduce greatly the daytime heating without interfering too much with the cooling effect of such roofs during the nights. A model of this system (a test cell) was constructed and tested at UCLA. The main variable in the experimental series was the UA value of the walls of the cell. This paper describes the development of formulas that recreate the indoors maximum temperatures of a test cell with such a cooling system. Conference topic: Methods and tools for design-assistanc