Volume 6: Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions: Part V

Thermal Comfort and Energy Saving Potential of a Phase Change Material Board (PCMB) for Building Applications in Hot Weather D Zhou, Y Tian

Abstract

Phase change material board (PCMB) is considered high potential as an efficient passive solution to energy saving in building applications, especially in hot weather. A numerical investigation is conducted on PCMB, with both sides subjected to periodical temperature variations to examine its thermal behaviour. The experimentally validated model is based on the enthalpy method. The inner surface temperature variation is used as a comparison factor, further with two newly introduced parameters, thermal comfort ratio (TCR) and energy saving potential (ESP), to parametrically analyse the influencing factors in terms of both thermal comfort and energy saving aspect. Melting range, latent heat capacity, convective heat transfer coefficients for inner/outer surfaces, thermal conductivity and PCMB thickness are studied parametrically. Furthermore, the optimal heat storage capacity of a PCMB placed on the inner side of a traditional brick-concrete exterior wall is theoretically obtained.

Keywords PCMB, energy efficient buildings, latent heat storage, thermal comfort, influencing factor, optimal thickness.