Response surface analysis of the dimensionless heat and mass transfer parameters of Medium Density Fiberboard

The development of predictive models to simulate heat and mass transfers in building envelopes is crucial for better energetic and environmental design of buildings. The models in the literature are based on heat and mass balance equations. Many of these use constant or briefly described input data. They use a dimensional formulation where the mechanisms involved are difficult to analyze. This article presents a dimensional analysis of Heat, Air and Moisture (HAM) transfer model where the thermophysical properties of the materials are taken as a function of the state variables describing the system. The analysis of the magnitude of the dimensionless numbers of the model and their response surface led to the estimation of the mechanisms governing HAM transfers for Medium Density Fiberboard. The methodology presented in this study can be very useful in the design phase since it allows the direct comparison of different families of wall elements.