Abstract
This study investigates thermal insulation properties of multi layer materials depending on thickness of air layers. Numerical analysis on the heat flow of different insulating materials was conducted to identify whether their temperature distributions demonstrate the reduced rate of heat transfer conclusively or not. Analytical model is divided into two categories. One is to distinguish temperature distribution of the air-layer materials from the non-air layer ones. The other is to compare the efficacy between eight-layered insulating materials with no air-layer contained and three-layered insulating materials which include an air-layer definitely. In the latter case, the identical thickness is assigned to each material. The effect of thermal insulation by including an air-layer is verified in the first analytical model. The result of the second model shows that the insulation of the eight-layered materials is coterminous at the three-layered ones with an air-layer and the thermal insulation of the two materials is imperceptible. The benefits of cost and energy saving are anticipated if air-layers are efficiently incorporated in multi layer insulating materials in a greenhouse.