Experimental determination of the flow parameters involved in moisture migration through fiberglass insulation materials

Abstract

An experimental investigation was made to determine the role of gravitational and surface tension forces in the migration of liquid water through fiberglass insulation materials. Straightforward experimental procedures were devised to effectively isolate and quantify flow parameters considered important in describing the flow mechanisms involved. The study was conducted to supplement an earlier investigation into the thermal performance of wetted insulation materials. Darcy's Law was found to apply for the regime of flow encountered in which liquid water flows under the force of its own weight in horizontal rooftop insulation. Experimental determination of the constant of proportionality in Darcy's Law, the hydraulic conductivity, is all that is needed to describe the migration of liquid water in saturated fiberglass insulation. Capillary forces, originally thought to play a significant role in the movement of liquid water through fiberglass insulation, were found to be negligible. Capillary rise up a column of insulation measured no higher than 13 mm.