R&T Subcommittees Busy This Morning

The Research & Technology Committee Block got underway with the Thermophysical Properties of Materials Subcommittee, chaired by Charlie Curcija of CARLI, Inc.

Ray McGowan, NFRC’s senior research and technology manager, provided an update on the Thermophysical Properties Peer Review. He reported that nine new physical properties have been received for addition to NFRC 101.

Then, he provided an update on the status of the Thermophysical Properties Interlaboratory Comparison (ILC), reporting that the last laboratory is finishing up the test, and hopefully a report will be ready for members by the 2010 Spring Membership Meeting.

McGowan also talked about the development of an electronic database for Thermophysical properties, hoping that it will be put into THERM and that NFRC can post it on the Web site for members to make comments.

The subcommittee then turned its attention to NFRC 101 (Procedure for Determining Thermophysical Properties of Materials For Use in NFRC-Approved Software Programs). The single ballot being considered involved significant changes to various wood properties and procedures governing their inclusion for simulations. (NFRC 700-Product Certification Program Manual has also been balloted to accommodate the changes shown in NFRC 101).

After review and discussion of the ballot's comments, the subcommittee passed a motion to approve NFRC 101 as amended and implement upon publication of the 2010 documents.