Simulation of phase change heat transfer in porous foam building walls

The physical analysis and computer modeling for heat transfer of phase change in porous foam building walls were presented. A theoretical model to determine one-dimensional temperature distributions and heat transfer in porous foam building walls was provided. This analysis used the typical parameters reported by the foam manufacturers such as porosity and density, defined as the ratio of the surface area of the foam to the volume. Apparent heat capacity method was used to simulate the heat transfer in porous foam building walls. The simulation results show that the thermal conductivity ranging in 0.3-0.7 W/(m.K) for porous foamed concrete with high porosity has little effect on the heat transfer in the porous foam building walls. It is also shown that the heat transfer rate in the porous foam concrete becomes more slow with increasing foam concrete porosity.