Dynamic U-values

Explore time-varying heat transfer through walls with thermal mass.

Description

In standard steady-state heat loss calculations, heat transfer through a wall is assumed to be instant. Changes in temperature on one side of the wall immediately affects the other side, essentially ignoring the wall's ability to store and release heat over time.

However, real walls, especially solid stone ones, have thermal mass. This means they can absorb, store, and slowly release heat, which introduces a time lag between the temperature changes outside and the effect felt inside.

This simulation uses a simplified R-C (resistance-capacitance) model to capture this dynamic behavior. It shows how the effective U-value varies over time, depending on the outside temperature and the wall's thermal properties.