Periodic Alternation between Intake and Exhaust of Air in Dynamic Insulation: Measurements of Heat and Moisture Recovery Efficiency

This paper reports experimentally determined heat and moisture recovery efficiencies of a newly developed dynamic insulation system, so called a “breathing dynamic insulation”. In this system, the outdoor air is drawn through half of walls made of breathable inorganic concrete (BIC), while the indoor air is exhausted through the other half. Intake and exhaust of air through the two halves of the walls are periodically alternated. It is shown that the BIC walls under study have recovery efficiencies of almost 90% for the heat in the exhaust air and 22 to 30% for the heat lost in conduction through the BIC walls within the range of an air flow rate of 10 to20 (m3/h)/m2.