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Condensation Risk Due to Variations in Airtightness and Thermal Insulation of an Office Building in Warm and Wet Climate

Author

Listed:
  • Wanghee Cho

    (Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan)

  • Shizuo Iwamoto

    (Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa University, 3-27-1 Rokkakubashi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama 221-8686, Japan)

  • Shinsuke Kato

    (Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan)

Abstract

Condensation in a building encourages microbial growth, which can have an adverse effect on the health of occupants. Furthermore, it induces the deterioration of the building. To prevent problems caused by condensation, from the design step of a building, predictions of the spatial, temporal and causation for condensation occurrences are necessary. By using TRNSYS simulation coupled with TRNFLOW, condensation assessment of an entire office building in Tokyo, Japan, was conducted throughout the year, including when the air-conditioning system was not operated, by considering the absorption-desorption properties of the building materials and papers in the office and the airflow within the entire building. It was found that most of the condensation occurred during winter and was observed mainly in the non-air-conditioned core parts, especially the topmost floor. Additional analyses, which identified the effect of variations in the thermal insulation of the external walls, roof and windows and the airtightness of the windows on condensation, showed that the lower airtightness of windows resulted in decreased condensation risks, and condensation within the building was suppressed completely when the thermal insulation material thickness of the external walls was greater than 75 mm, that of the roof was greater than 105 mm and the windows had triple float glass.

Suggested Citation

  • Wanghee Cho & Shizuo Iwamoto & Shinsuke Kato, 2016. "Condensation Risk Due to Variations in Airtightness and Thermal Insulation of an Office Building in Warm and Wet Climate," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-25, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:9:y:2016:i:11:p:875-:d:81539
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. June Hae Lee & Myoung Souk Yeo, 2020. "Condensation Control to Cope with Occupancy Activity and Effectively Mitigate Condensation in Unheated Spaces by Real-Time Sensor Control Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-19, May.
    2. Younhee Choi & Younghoon Lim & Joowook Kim & Doosam Song, 2020. "Why Does a High Humidity Level Form in Low-Income Households Despite Low Water Vapor Generation?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Wonseok Oh & Shinsuke Kato, 2017. "Study on the Effects of Evaporation and Condensation on the Underfloor Space of Japanese Detached Houses Using CFD Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    4. Borys Basok & Borys Davydenko & Volodymyr Novikov & Anatoliy M. Pavlenko & Maryna Novitska & Karolina Sadko & Svitlana Goncharuk, 2022. "Evaluation of Heat Transfer Rates through Transparent Dividing Structures," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-16, July.
    5. Sihyun Park & Seung-Yeong Song, 2019. "Evaluation of Alternatives for Improving the Thermal Resistance of Window Glazing Edges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.

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