Convective heat transfer in insulated glazing unit (IGU) cavities is a major component of the overall heat transfer in fenestration systems. Accurately quantifying the heat-transfer coefficient within the cavity is of great significance in calculating the center-of-glass U factor, the edge-of-glass U factor, and therefore the overall U factor. Over the past 40 years, along with the rapid development of experimental techniques and numerical methods as well as the powerful computer systems, the heat-transfer correlations have been updated either from experimental data or from numerical data from time to time. The literature reviewed here covers correlations based on simplified analytical studies, on the experimental data, and on the numerical results. In addition, most of the correlation equations cover the typical design range of fenestration glazing cavities, e.g., Ra<20 000. Inconsistencies and discrepancies existing between different experimental observations, and between derived numerical/ analytical correlations and available experimental data, are discussed.

Units: Dual