Experimental Study on the Demand Shifting Effects of PCM Integrated Air-Conditioning Duct

Abstract

The proportion of electricity used for civil buildings is increasing, which intensifies the imbalance between the demand side and supply side of the grids and leads to a large decrement in grid efficiency and large energy losses. The phase change material (PCM) can be used to store numerous heat or cold for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems for its phase change temperature range suitable for maintaining comfortable building thermal environment. Utilizing PCM for HVAC is an important way to mitigate fluctuations in the power consumption of buildings. This paper proposes a new type of air-conditioning duct combined with PCM. The demand shift effects of the PCM integrated air-conditioning duct is studied through experiments. The PCM material ingredients are designed according to the required phase change temperature range. The feasibility of PCM application in HVAC ducts is verified. The results show that air-conditioning duct combined with PCM can keep the indoor temperature in a comfortable range during the power peak load after shutting down chiller.