Numerical Study of Application of PCM for a Passive Thermal Energy Storage System for Space Cooling in Residential Buildings

Abstract

In this paper, effectiveness of phase change materials (PCMs) for application in passive thermal energy storage (TES) system for space cooling in residential buildings is investigated numerically. PCM is encapsulated in steel containers and integrated into the building interior under a ceiling slab. Thermal response of two phase change materials with different melting/solidification temperatures under the typical summer conditions of the Baltic States is analysed by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software Ansys Fluent. The results showed that integration of the passive TES system can reduce the overheating problem and improve thermal comfort; however full advantage of the PCM storage capacity cannot be taken without active regeneration of the PCM.