Thermal Performance Evaluation of Curtain Wall Frame Types

Abstract

This study is an evaluation of thermal performance according to curtain wall frame types. Heat transfer simulations were conducted on the currently preferred aluminum, steel and scagliola frames, which improved thermal performance and actual frames were produced for thermal performance experiments. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: when heat transfer simulation was conducted to compare the thermal performance of the three frames for summer and winter, scagliola showed the lowest temperature difference, both inside and outside with excellent thermal performance compared to the aluminum/steel frame. Also, as a result of a mock-up test based on the simulation results, for both night and day, the temperature difference was found to be lowest for the scagliola frame. Therefore, it was found that by applying the scagliola frame which improves on the thermal performance of the aluminum/steel frame, the heat loss from frames can be reduced.