Computer Aided Prediction of Drying Out Performance of Insulating Glass Units

Dr. Hans Höfer, Dr. Horst Thamm, Mr. Andreas Keinath, GRACE GmbH & Co

A computer program for predicting the drying-out performance of insulating glass units has been developed. Based on a gas diffusion model it can be shown that the experimentally determined water diffusion through the spacer bar perforation is sufficient to simulate the time dependent development of the spatial dew point distribution in an insulating glass unit (IG unit). The results of the simulation suggest that for IG units, non-symmetrically filled with desiccants, a dew point test executed at the center of a double pane might be misleading. This appears to become more critical, when the time elapsed between manufacturing and shipment is short and the outside temperatures are low.

The Authors