COOLING SYSTEM FOR KAMPUNG HOUSE

Paul Marcos Anak Aeron

Bachelor of Engineering with Honours

(Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering)

2010

Faculty of Engineering

i

UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA SARAWAK

R13a

BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS TESIS

Judul: COOLING SYSTEM FOR KAMPUNG HOUSE

SESI PENGAJIAN: 2009/2010

Saya, PAUL MARCOS ANAK AERON

mengaku membenarkan tesis * ini disimpan di Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik,

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut:

1. Tesis adalah hakmilik Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

2. Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dibenarkan membuat

salinan untuk tujuan pengajian sahaja.

3. Membuat pendigitan untuk membanguankan Pangkalan Data Kandungan Tempatan.

4. Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak dibenarkan membuat

salinan tesis ini sebagai bahan pertukaran antara institusi pengajian tinggi.

5. ** Sila tandakan (√) di kotak yang berkenaan.

SULIT (Mengandungi maklumat yand berdarjah keselamatan atau kepentingan Malaysia

seperti yang termaktub di dalam AKTA RAHSIA RASMI 1972).

TERHAD (Mengandungi maklumat TERHAD yang telah ditentukan oleh organisasi/badan di

mana penyelidikan dijalankan).

TIDAK TERHAD

Disahkan oleh

___________________________ ________________________ (TANDATANGAN PENULIS) (TANDATANGAN PENYELIA) Alamat Tetap:

No 238, Lorong 28G 1F,

Taman Samarindah, PUAN MAHSHURI YUSOF

94300 Kota Samarahan, Nama Penyelia

Sarawak

Tarikh: _______________ Tarikh: _____________

CATATAN * Tesis dimaksudkan sebagai tesis bagi Ijazah Doktor Falsafah, Sarjana dan Sarjana Muda

** Jika tesis ini SULIT dan TERHAD, sila lampirkan surat daripada pihak berkuasa/organisasi

berkenaan dengan menyatakan sekali sebab dan tempoh tesis ini perlu dikelaskan sebagai

SULIT dan TERHAD.

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APPROVAL SHEET

This Final Year Project report as follow:

Title : Cooling System for Kampung House

Name : Paul Marcos Anak Aeron

Matrix Number : 17097

Hereby read and approved by,

________________________ Date: _______________

MADAM MAHSHURI YUSOF

(SUPERVISOR)

________________________ Date: _______________

MR. ISKANDAR JOBLI

(SUPERVISOR)

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PROJECT REPORT

COOLING SYSTEM FOR KAMPUNG HOUSE

PAUL MARCOS ANAK AERON

This project is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree

of Bachelor (Honours) of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Report submitted to

Faculty of Engineering

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK (UNIMAS)

2010

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Dedicated to my loving father, Mr.Aeron Rumet, and mother,

Mrs. Radik Kudi and all my friends who has supported and

encouraged me

Thank you for all the support and encouragement

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Above all, great thank to God upon His blessing for granting me spiritual

strength to complete my thesis.

Millions of thanks to my supervisors, Madam Mahshuri bt. Yusof and Mr.

Iskandar bin Jobli for assisting me with priceless guidance, indispensable ideas and

comment through my final year project. Extended appreciation to Mechanical and

Civil lab technicians, for lending their cooperation; assistance and guidance from the

very beginning of my thesis till the completation of it.

My sincere thanks go to all my delightful friends, course mates and individual

for their contribution.

Last but not least, my deepest gratitude to my beloved parents, family, and

loves one for their endless love and care, continued moral support and

encouragement.

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ABSTRACT

In Malaysia, installing heat insulator at the attic region is not practical in

kampung area. This study is carried out to determine the reliability of heat insulator

to decrease the heat gain in kampung house. Besides that, the study test lokan shell

fiber composite as heat insulator material and to compare its performance with other

heat insulator as gypsum board, polystyrene and asbestos. Lokan or to be specific,

the family of freshwater mussels and the species known as “Polymesoda Expansa”

or in the local dialect recognized it as “lokan”. This study also determines the effect

of attic air space ventilation in decreasing the interior region heat gain by the cell.

For this study five identical test cell were used. Four of it were installed with

different insulator including lokan composite, the remaining cell were used as a

reference. Analysis of result shows that lokan composite was comparable to asbestos

and polystyrene performance in the non-ventilated attic region. When attic region is

ventilated, lokan composite shows a better performance than any other insulator

tested.

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ABSTRAK

Di Malaysia, pemasangan penebat haba di bahagian loteng tidak dilaksanakan

di kawasan kampung. Kajian ini di jalankan untuk menentukan keboleharapan

penebat haba untuk menurunkan pengumpulan haba di dalam rumah kampung.

Selain daripada itu, kajian ini menguji komposit kulit lokan sebagai bahan penebat

haba dan membandingkan prestasinya dengan penebat haba yang lain seperti

kepingan gipsum, polisterina dan asbestos. Lokan atau dengan lebih

tepatnya,keluarga kerangan hidupan air tawar dikenali sebagai “Polymesoda

Expansa” ataupun dalam bahasa tempatan nya digelar sebagai lokan. Kajian ini juga

menentukan kesan pengudaraan di kawasan loteng dalam pengurangkan

pengumpulan haba di kawasan loteng oleh rumah kecil. Lima rumah kecil yang sama

digunakan untuk kajian ini.empat daripadanya dipasang dengan penebat haba

termasuk komposit lokan, rumah kecil yang selebihnya dijadikan rujukan. Dari

penganalisaan keputusan menunjukan di kawasan loteng yang tidak ada

pengudaraan, prestasi komposit lokan setanding dengan asbestos dan polisterina.

Apabila kawasan loteng diudarakan, lokan composite menampakkan prestasi yang

lebih baik dari penebat haba lain yang diuji.

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LIST OF CONTENTS

Borang Pengesahan Tesis i

Approval Sheet ii

Acknowledgment v

Abstract vi

Abstrak

List of Contents

vii

viii

List of Tables xii

List of Figures

Nomenclature

xiii

xv

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Objective 3

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2.0 Introduction 5

2.1 Heat Transfer in House Attic

6

2.1.1 Effects of Environmental Variables on Attic

Thermal Exchanges

8

2.1.1.1 Radiation Heat Transfer in Attics

8

2.1.1.2 Conduction Heat Transfer Process in Attics 9

ix

2.1.1.3 Convection Heat Transfer in Attics

2.1.1.4 Solar Radiation on Attic Outer Surfaces

2.1.1.5 Net Sky Radiation from Attic Outer

Surfaces

2.1.2 Moisture Transport across Attic Structures

2.2 Structural Elements Affecting the Thermal

Collection

2.2.1 Window Orientation and Sizing

2.2.2 Floor Type

2.2.3 Wall Construction

2.3 Zinc Metal Roof

2.3.1 Types of Zinc Metal Roof

2.3.1 Factors Affect the Zinc Metal Roof Run-

Off

2.3.1.1 Effect of Orientation

2.3.1.2 Effect of Inclination

2.3.2 The Role of Ventilation

2.3.3 Service Life

2.4 Roof Insulation

2.4.1 Thermal Conductivity

2.4.2 Thermal Conductance

2.4.3 Thermal Resistance

2.4.4 Specific Thermal Resistance

2.4.5 Thermal Transmittance

10

11

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12

13

13

14

14

15

15

18

18

19

21

22

23

23

24

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25

26

x

2.4.6 Available Types of Thermal Insulation for

Buildings

2.4.6.1 Organic Materials

2.4.6.2 Inorganic Materials

2.4.6.3 Metallic or Metalized Reflective

Membranes

26

27

31

32

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 33

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Experimental Apparatus

3.3 The Test Cell Materials Selection

3.3.1 Aluminum

3.3.2 Zinc

3.3.3 Wood

3.4 Polyester resin

3.5 Controlling the polyester curing process

3.6 Test Methodology

3.7 Measuring device

33

34

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36

37

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44

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CHAPTER 4 RESULT AND DISCUSSION 49

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Insulation effect on indoor thermal

comfort

4.3 Ventilated attic effect on the cells

49

50

55

xi

4.4 Results for non-ventilated versus

ventilated attics: composite insulation

cells

61

4.5 Composite reliability as ceiling heat

insulator

64

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 67

5.0 Introduction 67

5.1 Recommendations 68

REFERENCES 71

APPENDIX 75

xii

LIST OF TABLES

No Table Page

1 Table 2.1: Thermal resistance of attic spaces 8

2 Table 2.2: Parts of ventilated and compact metallic roof 16

3 Table 2.3: Forms of the insulators 27

4 Table 2.4: Insulation value and energy requirements of building

material

30

5 Table 2.5: Thermal conductivity of inorganic materials for building

materials

31

6 Table 3.1:Specification of the test cell 35

7 Table 3.2: Physical and mechanical properties for aluminium 36

8 Table 3.3: Physical and mechanical properties 37

xiii

LIST OF FIGURES

No Figure Page

1 Figure 2.1: A standard vented triangular attic design 12

2 Figure 2.2: Ventilated and a compact lightweight metallic roof 16

3 Figure 2.3: The amount of precipitation hitting the surface for a given

panel surface (dark line), largely depends on its inclination from

horizon

20

4 Figure 2.4: The used zinc laying technique, roll cap roofing, leads to

that a part of the surface is vertically oriented towards the rest of the

surface

21

5 Figure 2.5: Fiberglass batts 28

6 Figure2.6: Blow-in fiberglass insulation 29

7 Figure 2.7: Thermal resistance (per 5 cm thickness) of common

building insulation materials

32

8 Figure 3.1: The test cell materials 35

9 Figure 3.2: Kampung house wood made structure 39

10 Figure 3.3: Polyester resin matrix and lokan fiber shell mixture 41

11 Figure 3.4: Curing resin by using hot press machine 43

12 Figure 3.5: Test cells 45

13 Figure 3.6: Test cell’s attic installed with chimney 46

14 Figure 3.7 Kyowa UCAM Data Logger 60B

47

15 Figure 4.1: Temperature at the Attic Region on Day 1 51

16 Figure 4.2: Temperature at the Interior (room) Region on Day 1 52

xiv

17 Figure 4.3: Temperature Different Between the Interior and Attic

Region on Day 1

54

18 Figure 4.4: Temperature at the Attic Region on Day 6 56

19 Figure 4.5: Temperature at the Interior (room) Region on Day 6 58

20 Figure 4.6: Temperature Different Between the Interior and Attic

Region on Day 6

60

21 Figure 4.7: Temperature Different for Ventilated and Non-Ventilated

Attic

62

22 Figure 4.8: Temperature Differences in Composite Cells Attic 62

23 Figure 4.9: Temperature Differences in Composite Interior Cells 63

24 Figure 4.10: Health Effects of Asbestos 65

xv

NOMENCLATURES

ACM - Asbestos containing material

cm - Centimeter

EPS - Expandable Polystyrene

hc - Mean heat transfer coefficient

K - Thermal conductivity of the material

L - Thickness of the material

M - Meter

psi - Pascal-square-inch

Q - Heat flow

Qs1 - Temperature of hot face

Qs2 - Temperature of cold face

q conv - Convection heat transfer

SO2 - Sulfur dioxide

T - Temperature

μm - Micrometer

oC - Degree celsius

% - Percentage

xvi

Greek Symbols

l - Thermal conductivity

e - Emmissity of the surface

α - Stefan-Boltzmann constant

τ - Transmittance

ρ - Reflectance

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

Nowadays in kampung area, many kampung houses in Malaysia and also in

other surrounding countries were still built without insulation at the roofing region.

Kampung is a Malay word for village. Village is a small rural population unit, held

together by common economic and political ties. Based on agricultural production, a

village is smaller than a town and has been the normal unit of community living in

most areas of the world throughout history.

(http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/kampung).

In Malaysia, traditional kampung house is cool, comfortable and relaxing

although it was simple. House functions not only for shelter where they can live

inside, take arrest and nurture their family (as living place) but also for place that can

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function to collect resources the settlers have by looking at the available chances.

Generally, house is a must for human beings to complete their basic needs.

Architectural and physical properties of building such as structural material,

thermal mass, and its shape are the most important elements which influence the

house thermal load. Nowadays zinc is preferred for the roofing material replacing

clay tiled and thatch in the back days. Zinc is easy to install, cheap, easy to get and

has a longer lifespan. Although it has a lot of advantages, zinc is not a heat insulator.

The heat absorbed by the zinc will warm up the house and create a thermal stress

situation inside the house. Another factor causing discomfort in the interior spaces of

the kampung houses is the local tropical humid climate.

The typical design approach in the tropical region house construction mostly

considering the natural ventilation, thus the house is designed with many openings.

However the most important component that contributes to the indoor thermal

comfort is the roof region. As stated by Abdessalam et al (1998), sixty percent of the

thermal transfers occur in the roof .By focusing on the roof region a high percentage

of thermal heat transfer may be avoided and more energy can be saved due to the

decreasing in cooling loads. The kampung house cooling load consists of heat gains

through the lack of roofing and building material thermal resistance.

Insulator needs to be added in the kampung house roof components in order

to deal with the thermal stress problem. The insulation system is relatively

inexpensive, durable and functions on both hot and rainy times in the tropic seasons;

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suitable for the kampung house. Insulator is easy to install during the initial

construction of the house.

The insulator material itself holds the important characteristic of insulating

material. It’s thermal resistance needs to be considered as it will affect the insulator

efficiency. According to Al-Homoud (2004), insulation materials can be made in

different forms including loose-fill form, blanket batt or roll form, rigid form,

foamed in placed or reflective form. To choose the proper and suitable insulator for

the kampung house insulation system, types and form of the material which is

depending on the type of application as well as the desired materials physical,

thermal and other properties need to be considered. Ulgen (2002) mentioned that

material frequently used for building insulation is chosen for their low thermal

conductivity and their ability to block the conductive heat flux. For this research, the

insulator will be installed at the roof attic, which is located on top of the ceiling.

1.1 Objective

The first main objective of this research is to determine the effectiveness and

the efficiency of insulator in reducing the heat flow at the kampung house roof

attics. Second aim of this research is to compare lokan shell polyester matrix

composite with other insulators such as asbestos, gypsum board and polystyrene as

thermal heat insulator for kampung house under Malaysia tropical humid climate.

Lastly, this research will analyze how the air ventilated roof effect the insulator

thermal resistance performance. To obtain those objectives, four test cells (kampung

house prototype) will be build up. Four different insulators will be installed in the

4

four test cells attics and the last one will be reserve as a referent cell. The data in

terms of temperatures will be recorded simultaneously by using thermocouples

attached with data logger.

5

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEWS

2.0 Introduction

This chapter notifies and gives some reviews to the general component of the

roofing system in the existed buildings. Some research done on the metal roof and

performance of the insulator used recently in real life also is included in this chapter.

Problems and limitations of the recently components used for the roofing system is

focused, a list of axioms to construct a better natural ventilated building also is being

highlight for a more better living with a minimal cost. Besides that, this chapter

describes the factors that affecting extra heat addition in the buildings and the

effectiveness of the insulation system.

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2.1 Heat Transfer in House Attic

Attic is a space between the ceiling of the top floor of a building and the roof

of a house or other buildings, in other words attic also known as space located below

the pitched roof of a house. In the western country, attic is modified into room with

multi-purpose. The attics complete with windows and staircases function as

bedroom, reading room or space for storage .In tropical climate country as Malaysia,

attic is not a suitable place to do any activity because it is an extremely warm area

and most attics remain hard to get to and neglected. Attic zone is important to control

the house temperature. Attic is categorized as unconditioned zones. According to

Sparrow et al. (1995) the temperature level that is attain depends on the intensity of

the insulation, the present or absence of the insulations and of a radiant barrier at the

interior surface of the roof ,and the strength of the wind-based forced convention

heat transfer at the exterior surface of the roof. Ventilation is used to control moisture

accumulation and excessive temperatures in attics region. The airflow movement

from house to the attic is very significant for the heat and moisture transport. The

attic air temperature depends on the meteorological conditions, attic ventilation rate,

insulation level, and interior-attic exchange mass flow rate. Walker et al. (2004)

reported that the insulator material must be installed to the highest heat thermal

transfer occurs to make sure the insulator work efficiently. Referring to Al-Homoud

(2005), the best performance can be achieved by placing the insulating material close

to the point of entry of heat flow. For the warm humid country, the best place to

install the thermal insulator is at the attics. As the insulator works to retarded the heat

transfer, at the same time it will be protected from rain pour, sun ray and wind by the

7

roof. The convected heat transfer between the attic air and the insulation is given by

the stated equation:

q” conv =h c (T insulation – T attic ) -------------------------------------(2.1)

q” conv = convection heat transfer

hc = mean heat transfer coefficient

T insulation = insulation temperature

T attic = attic temperature

Chen et al. (1992) proved that hc is greater for upward heat flow. These two factors

tend to bring about an increase in convection heat transfer, q” conv, from the top of

the insulation to the attic air (Medina and Young, 2005). Table 2.1 below shows the

attic space thermal resistance value.