Analysis of building envelope insulation performance utilizing integrated temperature and humidity sensors

Area of Science:

• Building Science
• Materials Science
• Wireless Sensor Networks

Background:

• Building envelope thermal storage significantly impacts HVAC energy consumption.
• Current concrete temperature and humidity monitoring methods (thermocouples, fiber optics) suffer from wiring issues, discontinuous data, and high costs.
• Accurate, real-time data on internal building conditions is crucial for effective energy management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel Smart Temperature and Humidity Information Material (STHIM) for concrete structures.
• To enable automatic, regular, and continuous measurement of internal concrete temperature and humidity.
• To facilitate wireless data transmission for improved building energy management.

Main Methods:

• Integration of Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) with Temperature/Humidity (T/H) sensors.
• Design of a STHIM capable of in-situ signal conversion and wireless transmission.
• Development of a Building Physiology Information System (BPIS) for data reception and analysis.

Main Results:

• Successful design and implementation of STHIM for concrete.
• Demonstration of automatic, continuous, and wireless monitoring of internal concrete temperature and humidity.
• Establishment of a real-time data stream to the BPIS.

Conclusions:

• The STHIM offers a cost-effective, reliable alternative to traditional monitoring techniques.
• Wireless, real-time data facilitates informed decisions for building energy efficiency.
• This technology enhances building performance assessment and energy management strategies.