Comparative Study of Two Materials Combining a Standard Building Material with a PCM

Abstract

Phase change materials (PCMs) have the ability to store thermal energy and make it available at a later stage to keep indoor temperature within a specific range and achieve better thermal comfort in buildings. This study focuses on the performances of materials obtained by combining a standard building material with a PCM. In particular, two different materials mixed with the same PCM are considered under the same climatic conditions. The related thermal behavior is assessed in the framework of numerical simulations conducted with ANSYS Fluent assuming parameters representative of a city located in Europe. The results show that the addition of PCM to concrete and bricks can improve the thermal inertia of the resulting material.