Preparation and Analysis of External Walls with the Phase Change Facing Tile for Energy Savings

Abstract

The external surface of the building envelope absorbs large amounts of heat after long periods of solar radiation especially in the hot summer, leading to a dramatic increase in the cooling load and energy consumption. Phase change material (PCM) possesses the ability to reduce building energy consumption and improve thermal comfort when it is integrated with the building envelope. In this study, paraffin /expanded graphite (EG) composite phase change material was prepared to fabricate facing tile for building envelopes, with phase change facing tile (PCMT) attached to exterior walls and roofs. To present the full role played by the paraffin/ expanded graphite composite phase change material, microstructure, thermal and physical properties characteristics were investigated, thermal performance experiment of facing tile was carried out. The results showed that the maximum inner surface temperature difference between the PCMT and the ceramic tile reached 2.5°C, the maximum temperature time lag was 51 min. A simulation in EnergyPlus was used to evaluate the availability of using PCM to improve the energy efficiency of the building under the Guangzhou climate. The results showed that 2.65% energy savings were achieved. These results showed that PCM has thermal insulation performance, which would affect the indoor temperature and reduce building energy consumption to some extent.