Simulation nume´rique des transferts thermiques couple´sa`travers les parois alve´olaires des baˆtiments

Abstract This paper presents a numerical study of the two dimensional heat transfer through the hollow structures used in the construction of building envelopes. Equations governing the natural convection in the alveolars, the radiative heat exchanges between their internal surfaces and the heat conduction in the surrounding walls are solved using a finite difference technique based on the control volume approach and the SIMPLE algorithm. Results are presented for wide ranges of the dimensionless parameters governing the problem. These ranges correspond to the practical values of the temperature difference and the wall thickness. By comparing the heat fluxes predicted for structures that differ by the number of alveolars, it is shown that the estimation of heat transfer through building walls consisting of hollow tiles can be reduced to that through an hollow block with two air cells in the direction of heat transfer. The effects of radiation on both natural convection in the alveolars and overall heat transfer through the structure are also discussed.