Simulation of coupled heat, air and moisture transfers in an experimental house exposed to natural climate

Detailed experimental studies of heat and moisture transfers in building envelope parts are important to gain knowledge about hygrothermal responses and to validate models. For this purpose, a 20 m2 wooden-frame test house built in Grenoble, France, was widely instrumented to collect temperature and relative humidity at different depths in the wall, as well as indoor and outdoor conditions. Besides, a general simulation tool was selected to simulate coupled transfer at the building scale. In this paper, an experimental sequence is presented and simulated. Simulation results met temperature and humidity measurements within the walls, which give confidence in the model relevancy. Therefore, moisture and heat balances were applied at the building scale.