Abstract
Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) is an important method used to enhance the energy efficiency of buildings. In this study, an experiment was conducted to study the thermal performance and energy efficiency of an active solar heating wall coupled with a phase change material (ASHW-PCM) system, and relevant comparative trials were then carried out to complete its systematic optimization using computational fluid dynamics software, considering the dominating impact factors that may have an effect on the systematic thermal performance. Four impact factors, i.e., the number and location of the water capillary pipes, the PCM wallboard thickness, and the heating water temperature, were analyzed. The experimental results showed that the test room with the ASHW-PCM system performed well, achieving an energy conservation of 1.93 kW⋅h and an indoor temperature of 21.9 °C, which are higher than that of the reference room. In addition, numerical results showed that the number of water capillary pipes mainly affects the homogenization of the ASHW-PCM wallboard surface heating temperature, and the pipe location mostly benefits the heating temperature. Moreover, the ASHW-PCM wallboard thickness has little difference on the system performance, and the increase in the heating water temperature increases the energy supply to an indoor environment. Finally, through optimization, it was found that a configuration using nine capillary pipes close to the internal surface of the ASHW-PCM wallboard, a heating water temperature of 30 °C, and a 3 cm thick ASHW-PCM wallboard achieves the highest energy efficiency. The optimal simulation case achieves the lowest price with a high cost effectiveness of 15.27. In addition, its average indoor temperature is 25.52 °C, which is sufficient for meeting the indoor thermal requirements. The indoor surface temperature was kept within the comfort range for more than 70% of the test day. Meanwhile, the liquid fraction of the PCM in the ASHW-PCM wallboards was 0.4485, with a variance of 0.0094, signifying that the PCM utilization is high and that the temperature distribution is quite even.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
