Thermomechanical Phase-Aligned Insulation

Falsification of Static R-Value Sufficiency Under Time-Translated Thermal Forcing

Edge Canon Classification

Symmetry Group (𝑮)

Time translation of cyclic thermal boundary conditions (e.g., diurnal temperature forcing).

Conserved Quantity (𝑸)

Net thermal envelope response treated as phase-agnostic under fixed static R-value.

Invariant Spectrum (𝑺)

• Phase offset between external temperature extrema and internal heat flux extrema
• Extreme (peak) instantaneous heat flux
• Spatial coherence of heat-flux pathways across the envelope

Failure Signature

The governing assumption is falsified if any categorical spectral change appears:

• Non-zero, repeatable phase lag under time translation
• Discontinuous change in peak heat flux relative to static insulation with matched average R-value
• Emergence of system-spanning heat-flux connectivity not present in static assemblies

Assumption Under Test

Static R-value is a sufficient descriptor of building-envelope thermal performance under real-world, time-varying thermal conditions.

Tested System

A multilayer passive laminate incorporating thermomechanically reversible polymer domains engineered with depth-wise hysteresis gradients. The system contains no sensors, electronics, power input, or control logic.

The mechanism of interest is not instantaneous adaptation, but time-lagged structural reconfiguration aligned with predictable thermal cycles.

Minimal Falsification Experiment

Two thermally equivalent test panels are exposed to identical cyclic thermal forcing:

• Panel A: Conventional static insulation
• Panel B: Phase-aligned laminate

Instrumentation is limited to standard, non-heroic apparatus:

• Heat-flux sensors (inbound and outbound)
• Depth-wise thermocouples
• Infrared thermography
• Multi-cycle temperature control (≥100 cycles)

The experiment is pass/fail only. No averaged performance metrics are admissible.

Interpretation Constraints

The following are explicitly excluded from consideration:

• Average energy savings
• Efficiency percentages
• Economic or cost-benefit analysis
• Optimization or tuning narratives
• Gradual or qualitative performance descriptions

Only invariant spectral observables are admissible.

Failure Handling

If no invariant spectral change is observed, the assumption stands and the phase-aligned approach is discarded.

Failure is bounded and non-catastrophic: the system reverts to ordinary insulation behavior.

Methodology

Edge of Practice invariant falsification using symmetry reduction (𝑮), conserved quantity isolation (𝑸), invariant spectrum analysis (𝑺), and categorical failure signatures, per Edge Canon: Invariants, Not Interpretations.

This record is fixed at publication. Revisions require explicit versioning. Inclusion does not imply generalization beyond the tested assumption.