THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRICKS PRODUCED BY THE CERAMIC CLUSTER OF NORTE DE SANTANDER

In a warm climatic context, the construction pieces produced for ceramic envelopes in the region of Norte de Santander, Colombia, require a thermal characterization to define the models that present the best physical behavior for the energy flows that can be captured by a masonry enclosure subjected to temperature conditions above 33°C in a standard construction system. As a research objective, four types of fired red clay bricks produced by the ceramic cluster of Cúcuta are comparatively evaluated, analyzing the temperature distribution in the different variables of mass, percentage of air in internal chambers and shape of thermal bridges of each piece to determine the model that presents a lower heat transfer profile in the internal surface of the facing. The numerical method is used through thermal simulations in ANSYS R16 software to analyze the heat flows in the samples and compare the results. The research demonstrates that a 100% thermal mass in the sample represents high direct heat transfer profiles up to 51°C, and those products with internal air chambers present a better thermal resistance in proportion to the percentages of air and number of internal walls, as well as the arrangement and shape of their thermal bridges. The results provide information for the development processes of new parts and allow determining which traditional products have a better thermal response for enclosures in high-temperature climates.