EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF HEAT TRANSFER IN 3D-PRINTED BLOCKS

The building sector is a major contributor to global energy consumption, a trend that continues to rise. While the construction industry has seen limited technological progress, additive manufacturing offers a promising alternative. Despite the growing adoption of 3D printing in construction, research on the thermal performance of 3D-printed components remains limited. This study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating the heat transfer characteristics of 3D-printed block. An experimental analysis was conducted utilizing a custom-designed test setup specifically tailored for 3D-printed blocks. Constructed from recyclable plastic, the block was evaluated using the Hot Box and the heat flow meter method. The thermal properties of 3D-printed blocks are also investigated numerically by developing dedicated Computational Fluid Dynamics and reduced order models. The solution of the steady-state Navier Stokes and energy equations is obtained through a conjugate heat transfer solver based on the Finite Volume method, which is used in conjunction with a view factor model to evaluate radiation exchange between the surfaces of the internal cavities. The reduced order model is based on the Lumped Parameter Thermal Network approach, where the most relevant paths for heat transfer are modelled by suitably defined thermal resistances, whose values are computed iteratively using established empirical models for natural convection and thermal radiation. Results from the experimental and numerical approaches are presented and compared, highlighting a strong agreement.