Thermal analysis of 3D-printed panels for enhanced building envelope performance

The growing demand for energy-efficient buildings has driven increased interest in advanced materials and technologies to enhance the thermal performance of building envelopes. Among these, 3D-printed thermal panels offer novel opportunities due to their customizable geometries, material efficiency, and potential to optimize thermal insulation. This study aims to investigate the thermal performance of 3D-printed panels, designed to be printed through layer-by-layer cementitious mortar deposition. This additive manufacturing approach not only allows precise control over the panel's geometry but also creates air cavities within the structure, which play a critical role in improving thermal insulation. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a detailed numerical model is developed to simulate the effect of natural convection inside the air cavities of these panels. The analysis focuses on winter conditions, without accounting for solar radiation. The simulations focused on key performance metrics such as heat rate, thermal conductivity, and thermal transmittance. Different panel configurations are analyzed to assess how design variations impact the overall thermal resistance and energy efficiency of the envelope. The findings reveal that specific geometric features inherent to 3D-printed panels can significantly enhance thermal insulation, i.e., reduce heat loss, and improve energy efficiency when compared to conventional building envelope materials. These results highlight the potential of 3D-printed thermal panels to contribute to sustainable building design and pave the way for further research on their integration in modern construction practices.