Experimental and numerical studies of hybrid PCM embedded in plastering mortar for enhanced thermal behaviour of buildings

Abstract

This paper proposes a methodology for improvement of energy efficiency in buildings through the innovative simultaneous incorporation of three distinct phase change materials (here termed as hybrid PCM) in plastering mortars for façade walls. The thermal performance of a hybrid PCM mortar was experimentally evaluated by comparing the behaviour of a prototype test cell (including hybrid PCM plastering mortar) subjected to realistic daily temperature profiles, with the behaviour of a similar prototype test cell, in which no PCM was added. A numerical simulation model was employed (using ANSYS-FLUENT) to validate the capacity of simulating temperature evolution within the prototype containing hybrid PCM, as well as to understand the contribution of hybrid PCM to energy efficiency. Incorporation of hybrid PCM into plastering mortars was found to have the potential to significantly reduce heating/cooling temperature demands for maintaining the interior temperature within comfort levels when compared to normal mortars (without PCM), or even mortars comprising a single type of PCM.

Mortars with Incorporation of Phase Change Materials for Thermal Rehabilitation

“…The aim was to measure the effect of the PCM incorporation in the interior temperatures of the smallscale cell. It is important to note that the composition of the walls of the laboratory-scale prototypes is not a typical wall of a building, however the thermal transmittance (U ≈ 0.89 W/m 2 K) is lower than the maximum limit recommended by the Portuguese regulations for vertical elements (U ≈ 1.45 W/ m 2 K), having a similar thermal behavior to the typical building envelopes (Kheradmand et al 2016;RCCTE 2006).…”

Reviewing Theoretical and Numerical Models for PCM-embedded Cementitious Composites

“…In this respect, the recent works based on the fixed grid methods can be cited, i.e., Kong et el. [130], Tittelein et al [151], and Kheradmand et al [152].…”

“…fraction of MPCM core φ s volume fraction of MPCM shell φ m volume fraction of concrete matrix φ c + φ s + φ m = 1 (ρC) e f f ,L = (ρC) e f f ,S Tittelein et al (2015) [151] Kheradmand et al (2016)[152] (for composite applications: i.e., cementitious ones)…”

Influence of microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) on the chloride ion diffusivity of concretes exposed to Freeze-thaw cycles: Insights from multiscale numerical simulations

“…The value of ∆ is assumed to be 1℃ [5]. For this study, the PCM has an absolute volume fraction of 6% in concrete, latent heat of fusion 150kJ/kg and density of 300 kg/m 3 [4,13,44,45]. Table 1 shows the intrinsic thermal conductivities (λ) [39] and specific heat capacities (C) [5] for each phase of both the concretes.…”