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Laboratory Representative
Description
The Building Technologies Research and Integration Center (BTRIC), in the Energy and Transportation Science Division (ETSD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), focuses on research and development of new building technologies, whole-building and community integration, improved energy management in buildings and industrial facilities during their operational phase, and market transformations from old to new in all of these areas. A permanent staff of about 80, supplemented by student interns and post-graduates, is focused on building energy efficiency.
The experimental facilities associated with BTRIC have been recognized and designated by DOE as a "National User Facility" for more than two decades. Often private sector laboratories are not available to conduct the tests and experiments possible using the BTRIC user facilities. In these cases, the facilities at ORNL can be accessed by the private sector, universities, and others by entering into a user agreement. Such agreements can be proprietary or non-proprietary, and are generally conducted on a full cost recovery basis. In most cases the user provides the test specimens (the materials or walls or roofs) and ORNL staff operates the apparatus, takes the data, and documents the results. Scheduling of user tests must not interfere with the core DOE-sponsored research ORNL is conducting using these same experimental facilities. Almost all of the buildings-related research conducted by ORNL is done in collaboration with industry partners through cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) or Work for Others (WFO) arrangements.
Access to user facilities is a two-fold process. Prospective users submit research proposals directly to the facility of interest. Acceptance of proposals depends on scientific merit, suitability of the facility for the project, selection of a collaborator, and appropriateness of the work to DOE objectives. Concurrently, a contractual agreement is executed between ORNL and the user institution. This User Facility Agreement, which can be either proprietary or nonproprietary, stipulates the terms and conditions (including disposition of intellectual property) for the project. Some facilities are available for nonproprietary research at no cost, while some facilities must recoup the actual costs incurred for staff and equipment time. More information can be found on ORNL's Partnerships Directorate website.
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Large-Scale Climate SimulatorLarge-Scale Climate Simulator
The Large Scale Climate Simulator provides controlled conditions of temperature and humidity above and below test sections as big as 12.5 ft by 12.5 ft. A test section is assembled in a platform outside the LSCS and moved by a crane. The assembly can weigh as much as 10 Tons and can be 6 ft high. A low-slope roof test section is shown being placed in the LSCS in the above photograph, and the residential attic test section is shown below. Once a test section is in place with all instrumentation installed and checked out, an automated data acquisition and control system maintains desired conditions above and below it and records the responses of thermocouples and resistance temperature devices, heat-flux transducers, relative humidity sensors, mass flowrate meters, load cells, current shunts or any transducer that produces a voltage output.
A sketch of the entire LSCS is shown below. The climate chamber simulates any outdoor condition of interest: steady-state temperatures from 150ºF to -40ºF and a wide range of relative humidities (dewpoint temperature is controllable from 37ºF to 122ºF). Infrared lamps can heat surface temperatures to 200ºF. There is sufficient heating and refrigerating capacity to vary the simulated outdoor conditions in diurnal cycles, which allows tests of the dynamic response of test sections.
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Roof Thermal Research Apparatus (RTRA) and Envelope Systems Research Apparatus (ESRA)Roof Thermal Research Apparatus (RTRA) and Envelope Systems Research Apparatus (ESRA)
The Roof Thermal Research Apparatus (RTRA) was constructed for documenting the effects of long-term exposure of small, low-slope roof test sections to the East Tennessee climate. The RTRA has four 4 ft by 8 ft openings in its roof to receive different instrumented low-slope roof test sections. Each test section comprises one to eight configurations. Its original use showed the in-service aging effects with CFC and alternative blowing agents for polyisocyanurate foam boards in roofs covered by black and white membranes. These test sections are shown in the photographs below. More recent use of the RTRA has been to document the thermal performance of low-slope roofs coated with reflective coatings. In June 2000, we completed a three-year study with the support of the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association. The thermal performance of 24 different roof coating systems was monitored simultaneously.
The Envelope Systems Research Apparatus (ESRA) was constructed to expose large areas of low-slope roof to the East Tennessee climate. The ESRA is used to study energy and moisture flow through walls and foundations. The interior of the ESRA is heated and cooled to constant conditions year round. The ESRA contains a system that does automatic, continuous data acquisition and houses communications equipment that connects the data system to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's intranet. Since January 2000, the interior of the ESRA is the site of the ORNL Hygrothermal Properties Laboratory.
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Rotatable Guarded Hot BoxRotatable Guarded Hot Box
Researchers use the Rotatable Guarded Hot Box to test full-size wall, fenestration, roof, and floor systems. The ORNL Rotatable Guarded Hot Box is a unique envelope testing apparatus available at the Buildings Technology Center. This advanced thermal testing facility is designed in accordance with ASTM C236, Standard Test Method for "Steady-State Thermal Performance of Building Assemblies by Means of a Guarded Hot Box." The RGHB accepts test specimens that are up to 13 ft by 10 ft in cross-section with a metering chamber that is approximately 8 ft by 8 ft. The RGHB is particularly unique because it can accommodate assemblies up to 24 inches thick, which may be useful in testing projecting or extremely thick envelope assemblies, a second unique feature is that the test walls can be rotated and thermal performance measured at any angle from 0 to 180 degrees. Another unique capability is the ability to conduct dynamic guarded hot box tests on massive wall systems.
In the above photo, the hot box is show in the open position with a test wall in place between the hot and cold chambers. To the right of the hot box is a frame in which another envelope component can be mounted for testing. The RGHB climate chamber temperature can be controlled from - 10ºF to 140ºF and the air velocity from 0 mph to 15 mph. The RGHB metering chamber temperature can be controlled from 70ºF to 140ºF and air velocity from 0 to 1 mph. The instrumentation inventory available consists of 200 Type-T thermocouple-temperature sensors, 10 thermopile type heat-flux transducers, two air velocity meters, two pressure transducers and 8 other voltage output type sensors. The test apparatus is fully automated: the chamber temperatures and air velocities are computer controlled at steady conditions or in 200 step cycles. Data collection and processing are performed in real time. The system was designed for a precision of better than 3 percent and a bias of less than 5 percent. Estimates of the error bands will be generated with all test results.
