Abstract
Thermal energy storage with phase change materials (PCM) is a promising candidate to promote resource sustainability in buildings. The intelligent selection and usage of a PCM within the structure of a building poses a challenging engineering task due the highly dynamic nature of occurring heat transfers. This work features a step-by-step FEM modeling guideline to assist the design of building structures by means of a 1D heat conduction scheme. The phase change functionality is based on the apparent heat capacity method and extended by ordinary differential equations to account for the thermal hysteresis of materials with different melting and freezing temperatures. The set of equations is solved alongside with logical expressions representing a thermostat functionality to assess the external energy demand. Two proof-of-concept examples for PCM usage in typical Swiss and Greek wall structures are given.
Highlights
Some materials exhibit an exceptionally large release and absorption of heat during the melting and freezing process
The phase change functionality is based on the apparent heat capacity method and extended by ordinary differential equations to account for the thermal hysteresis of materials with different melting and freezing temperatures
Comparison between Switzerland and Greece The presented modeling guideline is used to evaluate the phase change materials (PCM) performance for the wall crossections illustrated in Figure 1 fed with the Typical Meterogical Year (TMY) data for dry bulb temperature and solar radiation between October and December
Summary
Some materials exhibit an exceptionally large release and absorption of heat during the melting and freezing process. Such materials are labeled as phase change materials (PCM). Experimental and numerical research related to PCM has received notable attention both on material and room level, respectively. Investigations on material level provide deep understanding of the melting behavior of PCM, the propagation of the phase change interface and optimization possibilities [2]. Such optimization possibilities may include the increase of the notoriously low thermal conductivity of PCM by e.g. addition of nanoparticles (nano-enhanced PCM). The work described in this contribution aims at combining the essentials of material- and room-level PCM analysis to create a fully integrated numerical design tool
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