The heat-accumulation model has already been presented here. Scientists of the Brno University of Technology, Institute Building Structures, Doc. Ing. Milan Ostrý, PhD., Ing. Roman Brzoň, Ph.D. and Ing. Tomáš Klubal have been working on it since 2011 and have already developed the technology for commercial use.
Today a set of heat-accumulation modules has been installed and tested in the experimental room located directly in the Faculty of Civil Engineering, where inventors can investigate, based on temperature effects, the effectiveness of temperature regulation inside a room as a result of the “Smart Wall” and verify the technical possibilities of the design. The capillary insulating pad modules work on the principle of no-draught cooling, which is essential in lots of buildings in the summer season.
The invention bears the name “Smart Wall” and is an excellent example providing a stable indoor heat microclimate which functions at low operational costs. It works by using excess heat that develops indoors during the day; this is accumulated in heat-accumulation plaster, in which micro-pellets with a heat-accumulation medium are dispersed. At night, heat is spontaneously released from the plaster back to the room as soon as room temperature falls below the crystallization temperature of the accumulation medium. If room temperature at night is higher than the temperature needed for re-crystallization of the accumulation medium, the off-take of excess heat is achieved through cooling water flowing through the capillary pads.
Another of the advantages of using the “Smart Wall” is its easy application using dry assembly. The module uses renewable energy or off-peak electricity. It is therefore an ideal solution particularly in structures made of lightweight building materials. The following diagram shows the structure of the capillary pad module, including a practical illustration.
Figure No. 1: Diagram of an accumulation module of a capillary pad
přívodní potrubí - feeding pipe; odvodní potrubí - offf-take pipe of capillary tube; kapilární trubičky - capillary tubes; sádrová omítka - plaster with PCMs, podkladní deska - base plate
Figure No. 2: A capillary pad accumulation module in practice
It must be added that when this cooling and heating method is applied in practice, the capillary pads are not visible in the walls. Ongoing testing continues of heat-accumulation modules for use in floor and ceiling structures. Thus the Smart Wall has an aesthetic function as well, and since the finishing consists of heat-accumulation plaster, it allows home-owners and interior designers carte blanche to express their creativity.
The heat-accumulation module with a system of capillary pads is protected by the IPO CZ as an utility model.
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