Thermal Inertia Performance Evaluation of Light-Weighted Construction Space Envelopes Using Phase Change Materials in Mexico City’s Climate

Abstract

The present study’s main objective was to determine the applicability of organic phase change materials (PCMs) in a building’s envelope construction system for the passive provision of comfortable indoor thermal conditions over one year based on thermal inertia in Mexico City. Research on PCMs relate mainly to their use in building envelope construction systems to reduce energy consumption for mechanical indoor thermal conditioning—not in passive systems. Computer simulation results of mean indoor temperature variations are presented with the objective of evaluating these construction systems’ thermal inertia properties. In the present study, dynamic thermal simulations (DTS), using EnergyPlus software, of ten 1 m3 test units with envelope construction systems combining organic PCMs of different fusion temperatures with conventional materials were performed. Based on the results, it is concluded that the implementation of organic PCMs with a fusion temperature around 25 °C in combination with aerated concrete in a space envelope results in the highest number of hours the indoor temperatures remain within the comfort range throughout a typical year, due to the decrement of indoor temperature oscillations and, to a large extent, to thermal lag.

Keywords

• thermal inertia
• phase change materials
• light-weighted constructive system