Experimental validation of a finite difference algorithm to simulate Breathing Wall components

In this work, a one-dimensional Finite Difference Model for Breathing Wall components under time dependent Dirichlet boundary conditions is presented. This algorithm is experimentally validated at various airflow velocities, using temperature distributions and heat flux densities data collected through a set of test performed on a no-fines concrete sample in the Dual Air Vented Thermal Box (DAVTB facility). At the end of the validation process, along with a sensitivity analysis, a good performance of the model is found in predicting the temperature distribution, with an average error calculated for each test from 0.07 °C to 0.10 °C, and standard deviation from 0.04 °C to 0.07 °C. At the same time, the heat flux density prediction is proven to be highly dependent on the evaluation of the material thermal-physical properties and on the measurement of temperature boundary conditions.