Experimental and Numerical Research of the Thermal Properties of a PCM Window Panel (original) (raw)
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Phase change materials (PCMs) glazing systems might be able to improve the building energy performance because of controlling solar heat gains and peak heating and cooling loads. EnergyPlus, a state-of-the-art energy simulation tool, allows simulating the heat transfer through opaque elements that incorporate PCMs. However, EnergyPlus does not allow this for transparent elements with PCMs. As consequence, the main objective of this research is to develop a numerical thermal model of double glazing windows with PCM in the cavity to be coupled with EnergyPlus in the future. To develop the numerical heat transfer model, the sensible and latent heat of the PCM is numerically modelled in MATLAB. This model is used to evaluate the impact of PCM on the inner surface temperature of the window and the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) in Santiago of Chile. The PCM RT25HC of Rubitherm® shows the better performance because it keeps the internal surface temperature of the window near of the comfort range for more time and the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) below 1.0.
JMES, 2017
Performances of two different materials ( water and phase change material ) were studied as heat storage medium in passive design of buildings. An experimental and numerical simulation method was applied. The experimental study was conducted in the laboratory environment on double glazed window sample. Numerical simulation model was formulated to simulate the transient heat transfer through the window system. The results show that the PCM filled window can be protected from rapid overheating due to latent heat of the phase change material. Numerical model showed good matching with experiment; therefore, the model can be used for the window system performance evaluation as energy storage unit under different configurations
Thermal analysis of PCM-filled glass windows in hot summer and cold winter area
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Phase change material (PCM)-filled glass window was suitable for absorbing or releasing more heat than conventional glass window. Comparisons of thermal performance between PCM-filled glass windows and insulated glass windows (double glass windows filled with dry air and surrounded by sealing strips) were presented in this paper. A 3D unsteady model was built in FLUENT to obtain the internal and external surface temperature fluctuations of these windows in 48 h. Compared with insulated glass windows, thermal performance (especially the thermal regulation effect) of double glass windows filled with Na 2 SO 4 . 10H 2 O was quite satisfactory in sunny days of summer, while double glass windows filled with CaCl 2 . 6H 2 O had a better thermal performance in overcast and rainy days of summer. Because the phase change temperature of these PCM is higher than the ambient temperature in winter, the thermal regulation effects of them were not as good as expected.
Experimental and numerical study of a PCM window model as a thermalenergy storage unit
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In this article, temperature-responsive window system based on phase change materials is studied by using experimental and numerical methods. The problem is analyzed for the real case (natural environ-ment) and lab environment. Impact of glazing cavity size on the temperature flattening period and itslimitations are determined and mathematically described. The results show that the design is effective inreducing interior air temperature variation by increasing the cavity thickness up to 24 mm, which is lim-ited by solid/liquid volume fraction for particular environment.
Energy and Buildings, 2015
A novel window-based cooling unit filled with phase change materials (PCMs) is developed in an office building. At night, outdoor coolness is stored in the unit by natural ventilation and it is actively released to indoor environment during daytime. Thermal performances of this cooling unit during both cool storage and release periods are numerically investigated with a transient 3-D model. The results show that during cool storage period most parts of the PCM slabs with optimum thickness of 5 mm can
Energy Conversion and Management, 2013
h i g h l i g h t s Thermal performance of the PCM layer used to store solar heat in winter is studied. PCM layers can improve the absorptivity and thermal performance of the wall. Proper phase change temperature and narrow range are good for heat release. The effect of specific heat and heating conductivity to heat release time is unobvious. A basic radiation time should be provided for heat storage of PCM layers.
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Parametric study of solid-solid translucent phase change materials in building windows
Applied Energy, 2021
Thermal energy storage and solar radiation management are crucial to improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings. Compared with the implementation of phase change materials (PCMs) in opaque components, the energy saving potential of incorporating PCMs in transparent glazing windows is much less studied and not well understood. Here we present a comprehensive parametric study of novel PCM windows for building energy saving with a focus on optimizing and quantitatively distinguishing the contributions from the optical and thermal properties of the PCM, which is particularly useful for the design of solid-solid PCM windows. We investigate a reference commercial office building using EnergyPlus by developing an equivalent model of our PCM window that is compatible with EnergyPlus's modeling capabilities. Compared with a clearclear double-pane window, the integration of 3 mm solid-solid PCMs with optimal properties in warm, mixed, and cold climates can respectively save up to 17.2%, 14.0%, and 5.8% energy for the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system, and 9.4%, 6.7%, and 3.2% energy for the whole building. We also demonstrate that these energy savings are most sensitive to the solar absorptance of PCMs for all three climates. The optimal transition temperature varies with climate and is related to the climate and solar radiation heat gain. Other issues are also briefly discussed, such as hysteresis, window orientations, and the effect of interior lighting. Although the optimal PCM windows show energy saving performance comparable with low-emissivity windows, the PCM windows provide a unique advantage in terms of shifting HVAC loads which can provide benefits to the electrical grid. 2 Nomenclature Notations Abbreviations/subscripts Thickness (m) CondFD Conduction finite difference Area (m 2) WWR Window-to-wall ratio
Developing New Components to Improve Energy Savings in Buildings by Using Phase Change Materials
In this paper is presented a general overview of studies which aim at developing new components to be used in buildings to improve energy savings without decreasing human thermal comfort. The main features of these studies are reminded and the paper is focused on the realisation and test of honeycomb panels filled with PCMs. Thermal response of panels is determined with a specific test bench and PCM effects are clearly shown. Modelling and numerical simulation allowed us to interpret experimental results.
SOLAR THERMAL CONTROL OF BUILDING INTEGRATED PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS: AN EXPERIMENTAL SURVEY
In the present paper, we study experimentally the thermal behavior of phase change material (PCM) for thermal control of indoor applications. The experimental setup consists of two full scale identical concrete cavities, situated in Faculty of Sciences Aïn Chock in Casablanca-Morocco (33°36'N, 07°36'W). The first cavity incorporates paraffinic phase change material with melting temperature of 22 °C and second cavity is built with alveolar bricks. The test cells are equipped by set of thermocouples and heat flux meters connected to data logger. Thermal analysis for the two cubicles was conducted. The results show that inner temperature swings decreases remarkably in the cavity with PCM with temperature minima 3 °C upper to the case without PCM. On the other hand, there is time shift between PCM cavity and the reference cavity temperature oscillations. The integration of the phase change material on the roof of the building reduces the temperature of internal walls as it has good thermal inertia. When PCM panel covered the roof, solar heat transmission is reduced. This significantly reduces the ambient temperature of the cell. This demonstrates the ability of PCM to increase the thermal comfort of buildings.