O objetivo do estudo foi a avaliação dos mecanismos termorreguladores, baseada numa abordagem temporal em função de diferentes armazenamentos de calor, proporcionados por diferentes tipos de ambientes térmicos (com e sem radiação solar). Foram utilizadas 12 búfalas da raça Mediterrânea que foram submetidas a quatro experimentos durante o verão de 2010 a 2012 delineados para o comprimento dos objetivos específicos. Nos vários experimentos os parâmetros meteorológicos registrados foram: temperatura de bulbo seco, temperatura de bulbo úmido, umidade relativa do ar, velocidade do vento e temperatura de globo negro. Os parâmetros fisiológicos avaliados foram: temperatura retal, temperatura da base da cauda, temperatura da epiderme, temperatura de superfície do pelame, frequência respiratória e taxa de sudação. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas com auxílio do programa Statistical Analysis System, versão 9.1.3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA), utilizando-se os procedimentos PROC MIXED. No experimento 1 que visou verificar as reações termorreguladoras ao ambiente aquecido em unidade biometeorológica, o aumento da temperatura do ar em ambiente controlado influenciou todas as variáveis fisiológicas ao longo do dia (P<0,01). O incremento na taxa de sudação durante o período de estresse térmico determinou a depleção na concentração plasmática de potássio (P=0,0051). No experimento 2que avaliou as reações termorreguladoras na presença de radiação solar direta averiguamos que houve influência da exposição ao sol sobre todas as variáveis fisiológicas ao longo do dia (P<0,01). O gradiente térmico favorável no período noturno atenuou os efeitos do estresse térmico não constatando o efeito da exposição a radiação solar direta sobre os constituintes sanguíneos. No experimento 3que objetivou quantificar a velocidade de aquisição de calor ao sol comparando-a posteriormente com a velocidade de dissipação do calor à sombra, constatamos que a exposição por uma hora ao sol incrementou a frequência respiratória em 189,24 % e a temperatura retal em 1,46 %, após o retorno a sombra, por uma hora, verificamos uma redução de 191,75 % e 0,57 %, respectivamente. No experimento 4avaliamos a dinâmica da termólise evaporativa e o balanço térmico de radiação e convecção em condições de radiação solar direta. À medida que reduz a temperatura radiante média, os animais passam a perder o calor armazenado por radiação, reduzem as perdas por polipnéia térmica ao passo que as perdas por sudação permanecem altas. / The aim of the study was to evaluate the thermoregulatory mechanisms, based on a temporal approach, in relation to different heat storages provided by different types of thermal environments (with and without solar radiation). Twelve Mediterranean buffalo heifers were submitted to four experiments during the summer of 2010 to 2012 outlined to achieve specific objectives. Environmental parameters dry bulb temperature; wet bulb temperature; relative humidity; winds speed and black globe temperature were measured. Physiological parameters rectal temperature; base of tail temperature; skin temperature; hair coat surface temperature; respiratory rate and sweating rate were measured. The statistical analysis were done with the assistance of the Statistical Analysis System, version9.1.3(SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA), using procedures UNIVARIATE,CORR, GLM and MIXED. The first experiment aimed to verify the thermoregulatory reactions of the warm environment in the climatic chamber. Increasing the air temperature in a controlled environment influenced all physiological variables throughout the day (P<0,01). The increase in the sweating rate during heat stress led to the depletion of plasma potassium (P=0,0051). In experiment 2, which assessed the thermoregulatory reactions in the presence of direct solar radiation, it was observed the influence of sun exposure on all physiological variables throughout the day (P<0.01). The favorable thermal gradient at night attenuated the effects of heat stress without identifying the effect of direct sun exposure on blood constituents. In experiment 3, that aimed to measure the heat acquisition rate under the sun subsequently comparing it with the speed of heat dissipation under the shade, it was observed that one hour exposure to the sun increased respiratory rate at 189,24 % and rectal temperature at 1,46 %. After returning the shade for one hour, it was found reductions of 191,75 % and 0,57 %, respectively. The Experiment 4 evaluated the dynamics of evaporative thermolysis and thermal balance of radiation and convection under conditions of direct solar radiation. Reducing the mean radiant temperature, the animals started to lose the stored heat by radiation, reduced losses by thermal polipneia while the losses by sweating remain high.

Cette recherche est basée sur une étude numérique de performances thermiques d'un habitat bioclimatique. Dans cette étude, nous avons considérés deux habitats bioclimatiques, l'un concernant un habitat classique de toiture en tôles d'aluminium, de faux plafond en laine de bois et le second, un habitat intégrant du panneau de MCP qui sépare la toiture en tuiles transparentes de l'enceinte parallélépipédique. Les équations de transfert de chaleur dans l'habitat sont basées sur la méthode nodale et sont déduites d'un bilan thermique établi pour les différents composants de l'habitat. Les transferts de chaleur dans l'unité de stockage sont axées sur la méthode enthalpique et purement conductif. Elles sont résolues par une méthode implicite aux différences finies et les algorithmes de Gauss et de Thomas. Nous avons analysé l'influence de certains paramètres tels que : le flux solaire, l'épaisseur du mur, la température maximale et minimale, et le taux de renouvellement d'air sur les distributions de températures des composants de l'habitat et de l'unité de stockage, les efficacités thermiques de stockage et de déstockage de l'unité de stockage. Une modélisation des phénomènes de transfert de chaleur dans l'habitat et dans l'unité de stockage est présentée, complétée par une simulation du fonctionnement du système basée sur les notions de journée type à travers les données météorologiques de la région de Ouagadougou et terminé par une analyse technico-économique. / This research is based on a numerical study of thermal performances of a bioclimatic habitat. In this study, we considered two bioclimatic habitats, one concerning a conventional aluminum roofing habitat, wood-wool false ceilings, and the second, a habitat incorporating a MCP panel that separates the roof into tiles transparent parallelepipedic enclosure. The heat transfer equations in the habitat are based on the nodal method and are deduced from a heat balance established for the different components of the habitat. The heat transfers in the storage unit are focused on the enthalpy and purely conductive method. They are solved by an implicit finite difference method and the Gauss and Thomas algorithms. We analyzed the influence of certain parameters such as: solar flux, wall thickness, maximum and minimum temperature, and the rate of air exchange on the temperature distributions of the components of the habitat and water. Storage unit, the thermal efficiencies of storage and retrieval of the storage unit. A modeling of the heat transfer phenomena in the habitat and in the storage unit is presented, completed by a simulation of the functioning of the system based on the notions of typical day through the meteorological data of the region of Ouagadougou and ended by a technical and economic analysis.

O objetivo do estudo foi a avaliação dos mecanismos termorreguladores, baseada numa abordagem temporal em função de diferentes armazenamentos de calor, proporcionados por diferentes tipos de ambientes térmicos (com e sem radiação solar). Foram utilizadas 12 búfalas da raça Mediterrânea que foram submetidas a quatro experimentos durante o verão de 2010 a 2012 delineados para o comprimento dos objetivos específicos. Nos vários experimentos os parâmetros meteorológicos registrados foram: temperatura de bulbo seco, temperatura de bulbo úmido, umidade relativa do ar, velocidade do vento e temperatura de globo negro. Os parâmetros fisiológicos avaliados foram: temperatura retal, temperatura da base da cauda, temperatura da epiderme, temperatura de superfície do pelame, frequência respiratória e taxa de sudação. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas com auxílio do programa Statistical Analysis System, versão 9.1.3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA), utilizando-se os procedimentos PROC MIXED. No experimento 1 que visou verificar as reações termorreguladoras ao ambiente aquecido em unidade biometeorológica, o aumento da temperatura do ar em ambiente controlado influenciou todas as variáveis fisiológicas ao longo do dia (P<0,01). O incremento na taxa de sudação durante o período de estresse térmico determinou a depleção na concentração plasmática de potássio (P=0,0051). No experimento 2que avaliou as reações termorreguladoras na presença de radiação solar direta averiguamos que houve influência da exposição ao sol sobre todas as variáveis fisiológicas ao longo do dia (P<0,01). O gradiente térmico favorável no período noturno atenuou os efeitos do estresse térmico não constatando o efeito da exposição a radiação solar direta sobre os constituintes sanguíneos. No experimento 3que objetivou quantificar a velocidade de aquisição de calor ao sol comparando-a posteriormente com a velocidade de dissipação do calor à sombra, constatamos que a exposição por uma hora ao sol incrementou a frequência respiratória em 189,24 % e a temperatura retal em 1,46 %, após o retorno a sombra, por uma hora, verificamos uma redução de 191,75 % e 0,57 %, respectivamente. No experimento 4avaliamos a dinâmica da termólise evaporativa e o balanço térmico de radiação e convecção em condições de radiação solar direta. À medida que reduz a temperatura radiante média, os animais passam a perder o calor armazenado por radiação, reduzem as perdas por polipnéia térmica ao passo que as perdas por sudação permanecem altas. / The aim of the study was to evaluate the thermoregulatory mechanisms, based on a temporal approach, in relation to different heat storages provided by different types of thermal environments (with and without solar radiation). Twelve Mediterranean buffalo heifers were submitted to four experiments during the summer of 2010 to 2012 outlined to achieve specific objectives. Environmental parameters dry bulb temperature; wet bulb temperature; relative humidity; winds speed and black globe temperature were measured. Physiological parameters rectal temperature; base of tail temperature; skin temperature; hair coat surface temperature; respiratory rate and sweating rate were measured. The statistical analysis were done with the assistance of the Statistical Analysis System, version9.1.3(SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA), using procedures UNIVARIATE,CORR, GLM and MIXED. The first experiment aimed to verify the thermoregulatory reactions of the warm environment in the climatic chamber. Increasing the air temperature in a controlled environment influenced all physiological variables throughout the day (P<0,01). The increase in the sweating rate during heat stress led to the depletion of plasma potassium (P=0,0051). In experiment 2, which assessed the thermoregulatory reactions in the presence of direct solar radiation, it was observed the influence of sun exposure on all physiological variables throughout the day (P<0.01). The favorable thermal gradient at night attenuated the effects of heat stress without identifying the effect of direct sun exposure on blood constituents. In experiment 3, that aimed to measure the heat acquisition rate under the sun subsequently comparing it with the speed of heat dissipation under the shade, it was observed that one hour exposure to the sun increased respiratory rate at 189,24 % and rectal temperature at 1,46 %. After returning the shade for one hour, it was found reductions of 191,75 % and 0,57 %, respectively. The Experiment 4 evaluated the dynamics of evaporative thermolysis and thermal balance of radiation and convection under conditions of direct solar radiation. Reducing the mean radiant temperature, the animals started to lose the stored heat by radiation, reduced losses by thermal polipneia while the losses by sweating remain high.

A Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system is meant for holding thermal energy in the form of hot or cold materials for later utilization. A TES system is an important technological system in providing energy savings as well as efficient and optimum energy use. The main types of a TES system are sensible heat and latent heat. A latent heat storage is a very efficient method for storing or releasing thermal energy due to its high energy storage density at constant temperatures, and a latent heat storage material can store 5-14 times more heat per unit volume than a sensible heat storage material can. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are called latent heat storage materials. PCMs can save thermal energy, and use energy efficiently because PCMs can absorb thermal energy in the solid state, and the thermal energy can be released in the liquid state. Therefore, PCMs as new materials for saving energy can be applied into building applications. PCMs have been widely researched, but the current issues are lack of accurate and detailed information about thermophysical properties of PCMs to apply to buildings and inaccurate materials properties measured by existing methodology. The objective of this study is to develop a methodology and procedure to accurately determine the thermophysical properties of PCMs based on salt hydrates. TES systems of PCMs are measured and analyzed by various methods, such as DSC method and heat flow method. In addition, this study demonstrates to design a building roof with PCMs to save energy using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The developed methodology is designed based on ASTM C1784-14, Standard Test Method for Using a Heat Flow Meter Apparatus for Measuring Thermal Storage Properties of Phase Change Materials and Products, for measuring the thermal energy storage properties of PCMs. The thermophysical properties and thermal stabilities are evaluated by using a Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), which is made with DSC Q 200 equipment from TA Instruments and DSC STA 8000 equipment from Perkin Elmer Company. The thermal conductivities are assessed by heat flow meter, which is FOX 314 equipment from TA Instruments, and the enthalpy changes of the PCMs are determined by DSC method and heat flow method. Numerical FEA to evaluate potential energy savings is conducted using ABAQUS software. Four types of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), which have phase changes at 21ºC, 23ºC, 26ºC, and 30ºC, respectively, are used for measuring the thermophysical properties. The onset/peak temperature, the enthalpy, the heat flow, and the heat capacity of the PCMs are measured to assess the thermal energy storage system under the dynamic DSC mode. The results obtained using DSC equipment have a higher melting temperature than their own temperatures, which are known theoretically. The freezing temperatures of the PCMs are decreased by about 30ºC ~ 40ºC compare to their theoretical freezing temperatures. It is speculated that supercooling happens during the solidification. The enthalpy change curves as a function of temperature, which are determined by DSC method and heat flow method, are indicated to assess thermal energy storage system of the PCMs. During the phase change, the energy is increased. This is the reason why the energy is utilized to loosen or break apart the molecular or atomic bond structures of the PCMs by the latent heat. Moreover, the enthalpy change curves determined by heat flow method show more precise results than the curves by DSC method, because various factors lead to a temperature gradient in the PCM and the heat flux signal peak being shifted toward high temperatures. Regarding the thermal conductivities results of the PCMs, the thermal conductivities of the PCMs in the solid state are higher than those of the PCMs in the liquid state. This phenomenon happens due to the effect of the microstructure changing from the orderly solid structure in the solid state to the disorderly liquid structure in the liquid state. The numerical Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is conducted to evaluate potential energy savings of a roof. The results, such as the temperature variations from the outdoor to indoor measured under step 1 (the daytime) condition, show that the outdoor temperatures are higher than the indoor temperatures. This is due to the low thermal conductivity of the PCM in the liquid state. The low thermal conductivity of the PCM reduces the heat transmission to the indoor that in turn increases the outdoor temperature. This study shows the developed methodology and procedure, the accurate material information for the newly developed PCM, and the numerical FEA to analyze the TES systems with much more precision in the area of the PCMs.

Heat stress is a well documented hazard across industries. The combination of environmental conditions, work demands, and clothing contribute to heat strain. Left unchecked, heat strain causes changes in an individual's physiological state that can lead to serious and fatal conditions with little warning. Although engineering and administrative controls are the first choice to abate this hazard, they frequently are not feasible. In these cases, personal cooling is often employed. There are three main types of personal cooling: liquid, air, and passive. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. This study focuses on continuous cooling using a portable liquid cooling system (LCS). The LCS used a vest with tubes circulating water from an ice heat sink. The experiment consisted of five males each completing seven tests in random order. The subjects wore work clothes as the control then in conjunction with a firefighter, vapor barrier, and bomb suits. Each suit was tested with and without the benefit of the LCS. All of the tests took place at 35oC dry bulb and 50% relative humidity while attempting to walk 90 minutes on a treadmill at a 300 W metabolic rate. The study found continuous use of the LCS significantly reduced heat storage (S) and the rate of rise of heart rate (rrHR), core temperature (rrTre), and mean skin temperature (rrTsk) for the firefighter and vapor barrier suits as compared to no-cooling. Although the LCS didn't significantly affect the rate of rise for physiological responses with the bomb suit, it did however, significantly increase the endurance time. Interestingly, the study also found when wearing either the vapor barrier or firefighter suits in conjunction with the LCS that the rrHR and rrTre were not significantly different from only wearing work clothes.

The constant need of energy is something that affects us all no matter our current situation. Whether we are driving our car to work, taking the elevator or using the oven to cook dinner we end up relying on energy. Our whole society is continuously striving to achieve a higher grade of efficiency and the process of supplying ourselves with energy is no exception. The importance of appliances in our everyday life cannot be exaggerated and thus the importance of their high efficiency. Efficiency is already a keyword in the appliance industry with labels, stars and numbers helping us choosing the most suitable option for the task ahead. No matter how efficient appliances often use pure electricity as their energy source. This is where the heat pump shines being an excellent way of removing excess heat where it is not needed to somewhere where it is put to good use.    The goal of this study is to research the possibility of supplying a range of household appliances with a single solution built around a heat storage tank, this being a far simpler and cheaper solution then supplying each and every one of them with their own solution. The storage tank will act as a buffer during the peak periods of usage will be supplied with energy by a heat pump.   The system has been modeled with Comsol, a calculation and simulation software, to be able to preserve details as close to reality as possible. Different storage tank sizes combined with different heating values has been tested to determine the optimal combination.   Results show that the system is a plausible solution to the problem and that a compressor using 290W to supply the storage tank with 1000W of heat is enough to handle the peak periods of the appliance usage. The efficiency of the system depends on the heat source and while using the exhaust air from the household is recommended, the study presents two more options. The key to handling the peak periods is the storage tank acting as a buffer then being reheated over time. / Tillgången på energi eller snarare behovet av den är något som genomsyrar hela vår tillvaro. Vare sig vi tar bilen till jobbet, hissen upp till lägenheten eller värmer på maten i ugnen så gör vi oss beroende utav den. Hela vårt samhälle strävar kontinuerligt efter att effektiviseras oavsett om drivkraften är nyfikenhet, tvång eller ökad förtjänst och energitillförsel är inget undantag. Vikten av vitvaror i vår vardag kan knappast överdrivas och därför har också effektiviseringen av dem prioriterats högt. Idag jobbar industrin för fullt med att finslipa tekniken för att pressa energiförbrukningen allt lägre och man har även valt att börja utnyttja värmepumpen som ett sätt att värma apparaturen ännu effektivare. Värmepumpen är ett lysande verktyg för att flytta energi ifrån en plats med överskott till en situation med behov och att utnyttja exempelvis den energi vi annars vädrar ut ur huset till att värma hushållets vitvaror skulle innebära en betydligt effektivare resurshantering.   Studien syftar till att undersöka huruvida det totala energibehovet från ett genomsnittligt hushålls vitvaror gemensamt kan lösas utav en ensam värmelagringslösning. En ackumulatortank skall förses med värmeenergi som sedan bygger en buffert stor nog för en diskmaskin, en tvättmaskin och en torktumlare under vardaglig användning. Energitillförseln kommer att ske med hjälp utav en värmepump. Systemet är dimensionerat med hjälp utav beräkningsprogramvaran Comsol och har tagit hänsyn till variationer i såväl tankstorlek som tillförd värme från värmepumpen. Resultatet visar att lösningen är fullt möjlig och att en kompressoreffekt på ca 290W krävs för att flytta 1000W värme från en valfri källa, förslagsvis frånluften i hushållet, till vitvarorna. Den tänkta lösningen blir olika effektiv beroende på källan till värmen men visar sig vara en energisnålare lösning än konventionell eldrift. Nyckeln i sammanhanget blir ackumulatortanken som ser till att energin finns tillgänglig när den behövs och att den normalt höga effekten som krävs från vitvaror istället fylls på över tid och hanteras momentant genom tankens buffert.

This thesis seeks to examine the effective convective heat exchange of sand as a heat exchange medium. The goal of this exploratory research is to quantify the heat transfer coefficient of sand in a proposed Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system which intends to complement solar thermal power generation. Standard concentrator solar thermal power plants typically employ a heat transfer fluid (HTF) that is heated in the collector field then routed to the power generators or TES unit. A fairly clear option for a TES system would be to utilize the existing HTF as the working storage medium. However, the use of conventional HTF systems may be too expensive. These fluids are quite costly as the quantity needed for storage is high and for some fluids their associated high vapor pressures require expensive highly reinforced containment vessels. The proposed storage system seeks to use sand as the storage medium; greatly reducing the expenses involved for both medium and storage costs. Most prior TES designs using sand or other solids employed them in a fixed bed for thermal exchange. The proposed TES system will instead move the sand to drive a counter flow thermal exchange. This counter flow design allows for a much closer temperature of approach when compared to a fixed bed. As cost and performance are the primary goals to tackle of the proposed system, the evaluation of the sandâ s thermal exchange effectiveness in a flowing state is necessary. Experiments will be conducted to measure the effective heat transfer coefficient between the sand and representative solid surfaces used as the heat transfer conduits. Additional experiments that will be looked at are wear caused by the sand as a consideration for long term design viability as well as angle of repose of the sand and its effect on scoop design for improved materials handling. Key investigational aspects of these experiments involve the sand grain size as well as shape of the heat exchanger surfaces. The thesis will evaluate the resulting convective heat transfer coefficient of the sand as related to these features. The data will then be compared and verified with available literature of previously studied characteristic thermal properties of sand. The measured and confirmed data will then be used to further aid in a design model for the proposed TES system.

Heat stress is a common physical agent associated with many occupations. The most commonly used method of assessing heat stress exposure is an empirical method using the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index but his method is limited in its ability to parse out individual contributors to the heat stress. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a rational model called Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) in 2004, and rational methods have the advantage of separating out the individual pathways for heat exchange. The objective of this research was a performance assessment of the current PHS model. This experimental design consisted of 15 trials (3 clothing ensembles and 5 heat stress levels) involving 12 men and women. The clothing ensembles were work clothes, NexGen® (microporous) coveralls, and Tychem® QC (vaporbarrier) coveralls. The heat stress levels were 1.0 , 2.0 , 3.5 , 5.5 and 9.0 °CWBGT above the average critical environment for each ensemble determined in prior studies. The metabolic rate was 190 W/m2. The two outcomes of each trial were an exposure time when core temperature reached 38 °C (ET38) and a Safe Exposure Time (SET) defined as the amount of time required to reach either a core temperature (Tre) = 38.5 ºC, a heart rate of 85% age-estimated maximum, or fatigue. ix Trial data for environment, metabolic rate and clothing were inputs to the (PHS) model to determine a predicted amount of time for the participants to reach a Tre = 38 ºC, which was the limiting condition in PHS for acute exposures. The first consideration was predictive validity for which PHS-Time was compared to ET38. The expectation would be that PHS-Time would predict the mean ET response. Results for predictive validity indicated a moderate agreement between ET38 and PHS-Time (r2 of 0.34 and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient at 0.33). When the method for accounting for clothing was changed to that recommended by ISO, the PHS predicted times moved systematically toward a shorter exposure time and modest agreement (r2 of 0.39 and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient at 0.31). Protective validity was the ability of the PHSTime to predict an exposure time that would be safe for most people. In this case, PHS-Time was compared to SET. The PHS was protective for 73% of the cases. When it was modified to account for clothing following the ISO method, the protective outcomes were 98%. In addition, the PHS model examined with respect to starting core temperature and fixed height and weight. Using the actual core temperature improved the outcomes somewhat, but changing from 36.8 to 37.0 would be sufficient. There is a strong tendency to over-predict PHS-Time for individuals with a low body surface area, usually short and lower than average weight.

The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy. Latent heat storage enables high-energy storage density which reduces the footprint of the system and the cost. However, PCMs have very low thermal conductivities making them unsuitable for large-scale use without enhancing the effective thermal conductivity. In order to address, the low thermal conductivity of the PCMs, macroencapsulation of PCMs has been adopted as an effective technique. The macroencapsulation not only provides a self-supporting structure of PCM and separates the PCM from thermal fluids but also enhances the heat transfer rate. The current work involves study of various concepts of encapsulation of low cost inorganic PCMs. Sodium nitrate (NaNO3), a low cost PCM, was selected for thermal storage in a temperature range of 300 - 500˚C. Various techniques like electroless coatings, coatings using silicates, coatings with metal oxide (SiO2) and sand encapsulation are discussed. A novel technique of metal oxide coating was developed where firstly a high temperature polymer, such as, polymer (stable > 500˚C) was coated over PCM pellets, and cured, so that the pellet becomes insoluble in water as well as several organic solvents and later the metal oxide is coated over the pellet using self-assembly, hydrolysis, and simultaneous chemical oxidation at various temperatures. The coated PCM pellets were characterized.

The study is experimentally inclined, with a high target precision for performance measurement. A comprehensive programme of measurements was carried out in a two-storey building, having a massive structure and dating from 1970. Measurements were made continuously during the heating season from a total of about 70 points. Readings were taken every 30 seconds, and the mean values stored in a computer every 15 minutes. Analysis of the results have been concentrated on: * Thermal inertia, and particularly that of cooling mechanisms. * Time delays in heat flows through the building envelope in response to variations in ambient temperature. * The amount of solar input beneficially retained when operating with night setback and with normal operation. The results indicate that the building has both a long time constant, of about 200 h, and a short one, of about 1.5 h. The magnitude of the shorter time constant depends on the thermal capacity of the interior of the building (furniture, curtains etc.), and can be regarded as having some validity for other apartment building stock. Analyses of temperature gradients in the internal surfaces of the exterior walls indicate that the building's ventilation system, which was originally constructed as an exhaust air ventilation system, but with the inflow of fresh air blocked off, generates a dynamic insulation effect. Calculations indicate that this effect can provide a saving of 6 % of the total heating requirement, excluding that for domestic hot water. Investigation of the static heat requirement with and without night set-back indicate a considerable potential annual saving of heating energy, amounting to a maximum of 13 %, provided that the building is heated in accordance with a prescribed strategy. A 'comfort indoor temperature' has also been determined, being the temperature above which the occupants of the building consume excessive heating energy. Theoretical models have been derived to illustrate the short time constant and to analyse the dynamic insulation effect noted. / <p>Diss. Umeå : Umeå universitet, 1987</p> / digitalisering@umu