Study based on “Heat Flux - Energy Saving Pointer”: Exploring why phase change materials is not energy efficient enough on internal wall in cold region

Xing Xie, Xing-ni Chen, Bin Xu, Yue Fei and Gang Pei

Renewable Energy, 2022, vol. 196, issue C, 1308-1324

Abstract: The combination of phase change materials (PCMs) with internal envelopes is an effective way to enhance the thermal performance of buildings. However, it may be non-energy efficient in some applications. Due to the lack of in-depth exploration, Heat Flux-Energy Saving Pointer (HF-ESP) is proposed to investigate the direction conversion and numerical change of PCM heat flux. In addition, Relative Depth of Activation (RDA) and HF-ESP are combined to evaluate the thermal behavior of PCM. In the whole winter, the energy change caused by PCM in different cases is about 132–233 MJ. However, this change does not necessarily bring benefits, and the energy-saving effect should be evaluated based on the offset of positive and negative returns. RDA of case 2 and case 4 are 98.56% and 33.77% respectively, but they can save almost the same energy. It indicates that the higher latent heat utilization does not necessarily mean the better energy-saving effect. When the phase transition temperature is 17 °C (lower than indoor temperature), PCM will lead to non-energy saving reversals of heat flux. With the increase of phase transition temperature, it will gradually transform into energy-saving reversals. This work can provide some references for balancing initial investment and operating costs.

Keywords: Phase change material; Building energy efficiency; Thermal behavior; Heat Flux; Energy saving Pointer; Latent heat utilization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:196:y:2022:i:c:p:1308-1324

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.07.082

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