Numerical Study of the Thermal Behavior of a Wall Built with Different Materials in a Hot and Dry Climate

Abstract

This article presents a numerical study of the thermal behavior of walls made from different materials in a hot and dry climate, constituting a first step of thesis work. The main objective is to analyze the temperature evolution inside walls built of hollow cement blocks and local materials (CEB, CLB, and adobe), in order to identify the least performing material in terms of thermal insulation, with a view to subsequently improving its properties. The governing equations were solved using the finite element method, implemented in the COMSOL Multiphysics software (version 5.3). The study was structured around two axes: the analysis of the temperature evolution at the internal and external surfaces of the walls, and the study of the influence of the position of a cement and plaster-based coating layer on the thermal behavior of the walls. The results obtained indicate that temperature peaks are significantly higher in hollow cement block walls (38.55°C) than in those built with local materials [35.07-35.23°C]. These observations show that hollow cement block presents low thermal performance in Sahelian zones, due to its high capacity to rapidly accumulate heat. In perspective, future work will aim to propose solutions to improve the thermal performance of this material.