Selection of a PCM for a vehicle’s rooftop by multicriteria decision methods and simulation

Abstract

The automotive industry is one of the most contaminant; for this reason, solutions in efficient matter has been proposed over the years. This research contributes to this subject by evaluating the thermal comfort in the internal air of a vehicle by using a 20 mm layer of a phase-change material attached to the rooftop interior of a car. The phase-change material selection is based on a list of other materials proposed in previous research and chosen by multicriteria decision methods. In this sense, the material savENRG PCM-HS22P proved to be the best. Moreover, a simulation using the finite elements method showed how the PCM reduced the temperature of the air by 9 °C when heating and by 4 °C when the temperature drops. To conclude, the multicriteria selection methods chose the best material to absorb energy during the charging process and released it during the discharging event in this automotive application.