Simulation Drives Thermal Performance Standards for Metal Building Insulation Systems
Technology Category
- Sensors - Infrared Sensors
- Sensors - Utility Meters
Applicable Industries
- Electronics
- Glass
Use Cases
- Building Automation & Control
- Transportation Simulation
About The Customer
Owens Corning is a world leader in building materials systems and composite solutions, delivering a broad range of high-quality products and services. Founded in 1938, the company's products range from insulation, roofing and manufactured stone veneer used in residential, commercial and industrial applications to glass fiber that reinforces composite materials used in transportation, electronics, marine, wind energy and other high-performance markets. Owens Corning has been a Fortune 500 company for more than 50 years, demonstrating its long-standing reputation and influence in the industry.
The Challenge
The Metal Building Insulation (MBI) industry was facing a challenge in revising insulation performance standards. Owens Corning, a leading member of the MBI industry, recognized the need for developing thermal performance factors for MBI assemblies. The task involved numerical modeling of three-dimensional flow and heat transfer problems in insulation assemblies used in the metal building industry. The geometries of these assemblies were complex, including several materials with different thermal conductivities and narrow pockets of air where natural convective currents could potentially form. Even slight variations in the overall heat transfer rates could have a significant impact in the long run. Therefore, the roof-insulation fastening mechanisms had to be carefully designed for optimal performance.
The Solution
Owens Corning turned to ANSYS Fluent software to address this challenge. The company has used ANSYS products and services for many years and found them to be valuable resources. The geometric model for the insulation assembly was developed in AutoCAD from Autodesk. The ANSYS tools helped to generate a good quality mesh. ANSYS Fluent calculated the solution of the conjugate heat transfer problem. Subsequently, post-processing evaluated the overall heat transfer coefficient for these assemblies and analyzed the dependence of heat transfer coefficient on geometry and materials parameters. This approach helped Owens Corning to generate results that defined thermal performance standards for metal building insulation systems.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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