Experimental and numerical investigations on the effect of using phase change materials for energy conservation in residential buildings

Abstract

Phase change materials, which melt and solidify at a specified temperature range, can be employed effectively to store energy as latent heat of melting in a large number of applications. They can be used to increase the thermal mass of buildings by mixing them with building materials such as gypsum or concrete. The constructed research facilities of this study show that the application of phase change materials could significantly reduce variation in the indoor temperature of buildings by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at nright. The objective of this article was to show experimentally and through computer simulation using SUNREL that phase change material impregnated in building materials can provide thermal energy storage benefits. For these simulations paraffin (RT21), which is a mixture of paraffin, has been used as the phase change material because of its desirable thermal and physical attributes, including its melting temperature of 21°C (69.8°F), which is close to human comfort temperature. The simulated results show that the use of phase change material can effectively reduce the daily fluctuations of indoor air temperatures and maintains it at the desired comfort level for a longer period of time.