Evaluation and Selection of Suitable Energy-Storage Materials for Northern Heating and Cooling Supplied Solar Buildings in China Based on Fuzzy Math Method

Abstract

The aim of the study is to evaluate and select suitable phase change materials (PCMs) for northern heating-cooling supplied (heating in winter and cooling in summer) solar buildings in China. Fuzzy mathematic comprehensive analysis method was used in the process. And there are many impact factors involved in the process also. In the paper we only considered phase-transition temperature, phase-transition latent heat, coefficient of thermal conductivity, density, phase-transition temperature region, material price and safety. And some thermal performances of materials were attained by experimental measurement in the study. Finally we got the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation results of 7 selected low-temperature materials including dodecanol, heptadecane, octadecane, decanoic acid, dual composite PCM decanoic acid- palmitic acid (DA-PA), decanoic acid-lauric acid (DA-LA), and polyethylene glycol 600 (PEG600). The conclusion is that the value of comprehensive performance index of dodecanol is the biggest, 0.832, in seven PCMs. Therefore, the dodecanol is the most suitable PCM for northern heating-cooling supplied solar buildings in China.