Modeling of a thermal wall panel using phase change materials

S.i̇ Güçeri and S.f Faunce

Energy, 1979, vol. 4, issue 4, 695-699

Abstract: This work presents a model for a phase-change material (PCM) thermal wall being tested at the University of Delaware, Solar One House under the auspices of the Institute of Energy Conversion. The PCM is contained in small diameter tubes with staggered arrangement. Charging of the unit is done during the periods of insolation using direct solar radiation. The discharge of the unit is provided by air flow across the tube arrangement to carry heat; for which a computer model is developed to predict the response of the unit during its discharge from a given initial state. The tubes are lumped in groups of three along the air stream. The Biot Number is found to be less than 0.1 which indicates that the error associated with lumping is less than 5%. Each bundle of tubes is considered in three distinct regimes: presolidification, solidification, postsolidification. The model developed thus far has been used to predict the time response of the wall panel in satisfactory agreement with the actual performance. The simulation helped to establish the important system parameters.

Date: 1979
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:4:y:1979:i:4:p:695-699

DOI: 10.1016/0360-5442(79)90091-4

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