Computational analysis of the thermal behavior on a silica (SiO₂) aerogel coating for applications in the construction industry

A mathematical model was developed to describe the thermal behavior of the aerogel SiO2 material, which can be used as an architectural surface coating film. These types of materials allow temperature conservation within a panel so that a controlled environment is achieved. Conditions for modeling were considered, such as: porous material properties, microstructure, boundary conditions, etc. From the study of the material's micrometry, an image processing was made, and regular grids of 6192 nodes were built. Algorithms were implemented using Matlab to describe the thermal flow within the porous material. The results obtained indicate the thermal distribution across the pores of the material and showed the zones with greater incidence and thermal conservation in the panel. This research contributes towards the thermal analysis of special insulating materials as alternatives of applications in the construction industry.