Energy savings in building with a PCM free cooling system

Abstract

Alternative solutions for cooling and ventilation of buildings have appeared in practice as a counterweight to energy wasting conventional systems. Free cooling principle with phase change material (PCM) has been used as an alternative method of cooling and ventilating buildings which combines night ventilation and increased thermal mass. A simulation model defining the transient behaviour of the phase change unit was used. The heat transfer problem of the model, which was treated as two-dimensional, was solved numerically by an enthalpy-based finite differences method. The computer program was written in Fortran program language and can calculate temperature fields in certain time in paraffin area, as well as air temperatures. Energy conservation was calculated from meteorological data for a reference year in a specific country. The difference between inlet and outlet temperature were calculated, from which energy conservation for a cooling season were obtained. Calculated energy savings are from 14 to 87% depending on selected parameters. ©2011 Journal of Mechanical Engineering. All rights reserved.