Development of a composite EPS/VIP insulating panel

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Carleton University and Styro Rail are applying for a NSERC Collaborative Research and Development grant to conduct a three year, comprehensive research program on the integration of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) into composite expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels with a composite backer board. Styro Rail has completed the conceptual design phase of the product, however a number of research questions have arisen that this research program will address. These include how VIPs age, what effect do VIPs have on the hygrothermal performance of a wall, how the composite panel can be optimized taking into account cost, thermal performance and house geometry, and finally whether simple programs can be developed to quickly determine the effective thermal resistance of installed systems. To address these problems, 7 research projects have been proposed, with 3 focused on thermal performance, 2 focused on hygrothermal performance and 2 focused on VIP aging. To conduct this research program, 1 Ph.D. student and 1 M.A.Sc. student have been recruited to start in May and September 2016, respectively.This research program will provide Styro Rail with sufficient tools and research answers to revise their manufacturing process and market their product to home builders. This work will allow Styro Rail to exploit the research results for commercial use and distribute their product with a high confidence level in performance and reliability. Afterwards, the desire is to have a growth in new builds that will strive to achieve the various low energy consumption standards that are available, such as Passive House and R-2000 amongst others. Additionally, this program will enable research that leads to new knowledge and methods for energy efficient building design, construction and renovation. Furthermore, it is anticipated that this research will attract and drive industry innovations in value-added building envelope design, with a Canadian company at the forefront of the product development.