Development of a slim window frame made of glass fibre reinforced polyester

This paper presents the development of an energy efficient window frame made of a glass fibre reinforced polyester (GFRP) material. Three frame proposals were considered. The energy and structural performances of the frames were calculated and compared with wooden and aluminium reference frames. In order to estimate performances, detailed thermal calculations were performed in four successive steps including solar energy and light transmittance in addition to heat loss and supplemented with a simplified structural calculation of frame load capacity and deflection. Based on these calculations, we carried out an analysis of the potential energy savings of the frame. The calculations for a reference office building showed that the heating demand was considerably lower with a window made of GFRP than with the reference frames. It was found that GFRP is suitable for window frames, and windows made of this material are highly competitive in their contribution to the energy savings. A rational product development method was followed, and the process clearly identified the objectives of the investigation and set out the appropriate way to attain them. Using simple rational development methods, a well-defined and effective window was achieved smoothly and quickly, as is illustrated in the case study. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.