Drying Rate Calculations and Energy Modelling of Thermocill: A Technical Report

Abstract

Thermocill is an energy-saving product, developed by Thermocill Limited, that is designed for installation under the window board and above the radiator in a room, which is made from recycled plastic materials and can be retrofitted to existing homes as well as new builds. In its operation, the product tends to direct the natural convection from the radiator to create a wall of warm air immediately in front of the glazing on the internal side. The present study consisted of two distinct parts. In Part A, the focus was on calculating the effects of Thermocill on condensation and moisture around the windows. In this part of the study, the original and optimised designs of Thermocill were compared against the case without Thermocill. The drying rate shown in terms of vapour pressure for the ‘Optimised Thermocill Design’ was found to be 92% higher than that for the case without Thermocill. In other words, the drying rate of moisture/condensation from the bottom region of the window (i.e. region most prone to the formation of mould) can potentially be doubled when the optimised Thermocill design is installed in the window reveal. The original Thermocill design was also found to improve the drying rate by 39%.

In Part B, energy modelling was conducted for a 3-bedroom semi-detached house in order to calculate the potential energy and CO₂ emission savings as a result of installing Thermocill in the bedrooms and the living room. This part of the study investigated 2 different scenarios based on how the thermal comfort level is achieved in the house throughout the year. In the first scenario where the heat loading required to achieve a desirable thermal comfort (21ᵒC) came from all sources including the HVAC, lighting, equipment, people etc., the annual energy and CO₂ emission savings were found to be 7.15% (£31.12) and 147.83kg, respectively. In the second scenario where the HVAC system was solely responsible for achieving the desirable thermal comfort level in the house, the annual energy and CO₂ emission savings were found to be 7.07% (£42.39) and 201.38kg, respectively.