Numerical Study on the Effect of Incorporating Phase Change Materials in a Wall

Moussa Aidi; Yamina Harnane; Sihem Bouzid; Lyes Bordja

doi:10.15282/ijame.21.2.2024.9.0872

Authors

M. Aidi University of Oum El Bouaghi, Faculty of Sciences and Applied Sciences, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Algeria https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1003-0767
Y. Harnane University of Oum El Bouaghi, Faculty of Sciences and Applied Sciences, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Algeria
S. Bouzid Laboratory of Advanced Design and Modeling of Mechanical Systems and Thermo-Fluid (CMASMTF), University of Oum El Bouaghi, Algeria
L. Bordja Laboratory of Advanced Design and Modeling of Mechanical Systems and Thermo-Fluid (CMASMTF), University of Oum El Bouaghi, Algeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15282/ijame.21.2.2024.9.0872

Keywords:

Phase change material, Numerical modeling, Thermal inertia, Thermal behavior

Abstract

Integrating phase-change materials (PCMs) into the structure of a building can significantly improve its heat storage capacity and thermal performance. Thanks to their phase-change properties, PCMs can absorb, store and release large amounts of energy in the form of latent heat within a narrow temperature range. This study examines the thermal behavior of a housing wall that incorporates PCM to increase its thermal inertia. Simulations using Ansys Fluent 14.0 software compare a standard wall with a wall incorporating layers of PCM of different thicknesses and positions. Three types of PCM - RT28 kerosene, C .6 O wet salt and A26 - are evaluated. The results show that positioning the PCM layer on the interior surface adjacent to the indoor environment can reduce internal heat flow by around 50% compared with a standard wall. In addition, the study identifies an optimum PCM layer thickness of between 10 and 15 cm.