Numerical Simulation of a Novel Dual Layered Phase Change Material Brick Wall for Human Comfort in Hot and Cold Climatic Conditions

Abstract

Phase change materials (PCMs) have a large number of applications for thermal energy storage (TES) and temperature reduction in buildings due to their thermal characteristics and latent heat storage capabilities. The thermal mass of typical brick walls can be substantially increased using a suitable PCM primarily based on phase change temperature and heat of fusion for different weather conditions in summer and winter. This study proposed a novel dual-layer PCM configuration for brick walls to maintain human comfort for hot and cold climatic conditions in Islamabad, Pakistan. Numerical simulations were performed using Ansys Fluent for dual PCMs layered within a brick wall for June and January with melting temperatures of 29 °C and 13 °C. This study examined and discussed the charging and discharging cycles of PCMs over an extended period (one month) to establish whether the efficacy of PCMs is hindered due to difficulties in discharging. The results show that the combined use of both PCMs stated above provides better human comfort with reduced energy requirements in Islamabad throughout the year than using a single PCM (29 °C) for summer or winter (13 °C) alone.

Keywords

• phase change material (PCM)
• thermal energy storage (TES)
• phase change simulations
• CFD
• Ansys
• summer and winter