PCM-Enhanced Building Components

An Application of Phase Change Materials in Building Envelopes and Internal Structures

verfasst von: Jan Kośny

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Buchreihe : Engineering Materials and Processes

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

Presenting an overview of the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) within buildings, this book discusses the performance of PCM-enhanced building envelopes. It reviews the most common PCMs suitable for building applications, and discusses PCM encapsulation and packaging methods. In addition to this, it examines a range of PCM-enhanced building products in the process of development as well as examples of whole-building-scale field demonstrations. Further chapters discuss experimental and theoretical analyses (including available software) to determine dynamic thermal and energy performance characteristics of building enclosure components containing PCMs, and present different laboratory and field testing methods. Finally, a wide range of PCM building products are presented which are commercially available worldwide. This book is intended for students and researchers of mechanical, architectural and civil engineering and postgraduate students of energy analysis, dynamic design of building structures, and dynamic testing procedures. It also provides a useful resource for professionals involved in architectural and mechanical-civil engineering design, thermal testing and PCM manufacturing.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction

Abstract

This publication is focused almost exclusively on Phase Change Material (PCM) applications in building envelope components. Latent heat storage plays an important role in energy conservation, which is greatly assisted by the incorporation of latent heat storage in different products. It has been observed that building components, which store heat during peak power operation, can reduce at the same time space-conditioning energy consumption. A variety of PCM-based building products and PCM blends with building materials and insulations are presented here. Performance data for most major PCM building envelope applications are also described. Furthermore, this publication presents state-of-the-art testing methods enabling thermal performance analysis of building envelope systems containing PCMs. In addition, numerical methods for dynamic thermal analysis of PCM-enhanced building envelopes and whole building energy simulation models are discussed.

Jan Kośny

Chapter 2. Short History of PCM Applications in Building Envelopes

Abstract

The use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) as thermal storage systems in buildings has been already of interest throughout almost seven decades. Current improvements in building envelope technologies suggest that residences will soon be routinely constructed with low heating and cooling loads. Most often, latent heat storage materials are used to stabilize interior building temperatures. PCM-enhanced building envelopes offer higher per unit heat storage capacity than conventional building materials and provide lightweight structures the benefit of increased thermal mass. This chapter presents a short history of building envelope applications and whole buildings utilizing PCM.

Jan Kośny

Chapter 3. Overview of Basic Solid–Liquid PCMs Used in Building Envelopes—Packaging Methods, Encapsulation, and Thermal Enhancement

Abstract

Modern developments in areas of building technologies and new construction methods have led to reduced build time and cost for residential and commercial buildings. However, they have also resulted in lightweight construction materials with very little thermal mass. Fortunately, PCM-enhanced building components exhibit higher per unit heat storage capacity than more traditional building materials and they can bring additional thermal mass to lightweight building structures. In this chapter, an overview has been made of the thermal energy storage materials with solid–liquid phase change. The following four major aspects have been the focus of this overview: the type of materials, heat transfer characteristics followed by methods of thermal conductivity enhancements, and durability. In addition, PCM encapsulation and packaging methods are discussed here.

Jan Kośny

Chapter 4. Laboratory Thermal Testing of PCM-Enhanced Building Products and Envelope Systems

Abstract

A great variety of organic and inorganic phase change materials (PCMs) with stable thermo-physical properties are available and have been used worldwide in heat storage applications. In buildings, both sensible and latent energy accumulation can occur in the external envelope as well as in the internal building fabric. It is well known that one of the effective ways for energy performance improvements and cost reduction of PCM applications in buildings is PCM optimization. This process is usually associated with a proper selection of PCM thermal characteristics, PCM quantity, and its location within the building structure. As expected, this requires an excellent understanding of thermal performance characteristics. Hence, the key interest is focused today on relatively inexpensive and easy-to-use testing methods for determination of thermal characteristics of PCM-based products or systems. This chapter is mainly focused on laboratory-scale thermal-testing methods for PCMs, PCM-enhanced building products, and building envelope systems containing PCMs.

Jan Kośny

Chapter 5. Examples of Full-Scale Field Experiments—Test Huts and Whole Buildings Containing PCM-Enhanced Building Envelope Components

Abstract

The use of building components utilizing phase change materials (PCMs) has been of interest since the late 1940-s. Full-scale field testing of building envelope components containing PCMs is often a critical last step before market implementation of new products utilizing latent heat. This chapter will focus on two basic forms of these experiments: test hut testing and whole-building experiments. Due to a large number of commercial demonstration projects with use of PCMs, currently taking place around the world, only a limited selection of experiments and demonstration projects from different geographic regions are discussed in this publication.

Jan Kośny

Chapter 6. Thermal and Energy Modeling of PCM-Enhanced Building Envelopes

Abstract

Energy storage in building envelopes can be accomplished by means of sensible and latent heat accumulation. A large number of numerical tools enabling thermal and energy performance analysis of building envelopes containing PCM have been already developed. They now successfully support numerical optimization of thermal characteristics for building technologies utilizing latent heat storage. At the same time, reliable whole building energy models can numerically facilitate an optimized design of the PCM enhanced building components without the need for time-consuming and expensive whole-building field experiments. This chapter offers a review of the best-known numerical methods useful for the performance analysis of PCM-enhanced building envelopes. It also presents a selection of the most popular computer programs useful for system-scale thermal analysis and several best-known whole building energy simulation tools.

Jan Kośny

Chapter 7. Basic Building Envelope Products Containing PCM and Related Patents

Abstract

For a variety of climatic conditions, PCM-enhanced building envelope products are widely considered as prospective building technologies which can help in the near future to achieve peak-hour load and HVAC energy consumption reductions. Notable energy savings can be accomplished in residential and commercial buildings, by means of a variety of applications utilizing external envelopes, as well as internal building fabric technologies having capability of sensible and latent heat accumulation. This chapter is mainly focused on most popular building construction products containing PCM. Associated patents are discussed as well.

Jan Kośny

Titel: PCM-Enhanced Building Components
verfasst von: Jan Kośny
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-14286-9
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-14285-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14286-9