Influence of phase change materials on the thermal performance of hollow bricks under cold climate conditions: An experimental study

Abstract

The escalating energy consumption in buildings and the substantial thermal losses in building envelopes pose formidable challenges to the increasingly strained energy resources. With the building envelope constituting the primary contributor to thermal losses in buildings, there arises an urgent need for structures that can mitigate building energy consumption and thermal losses. This study investigates the infusion of phase change materials into hollow bricks to create phase change materialfilled hollow bricks, juxtaposed against unfilled counterparts through experimental analyses. Findings reveal that: 1) Hollow bricks filled with phase change materials exhibit higher inner surface temperatures, with an average temperature disparity of 0.89℃ compared to unfilled counterparts, indicating superior thermal insulation. 2) The internal temperature of phase change material-filled hollow bricks surpasses that of unfilled bricks by an average of 4.14℃, with fluctuations remaining below 1.5℃, affirming the effective heat storage capability of phase change materials with stable thermal performance. 3) The average heat flux on the inner surface of phase change material-filled hollow bricks stands at 7.37W/m2, 7.71W/m2 lower than unfilled bricks, signifying reduced energy dissipation and enhanced thermal insulation. These outcomes furnish a theoretical underpinning and experimental roadmap for the integration of phase change material-filled hollow bricks in building applications.