article · JOM
Cooling systems in hot climates can improve their efficiency by integrating thermal energy storage using phase change materials. A numerical study explored how coupling an air conditioning unit with phase change materials solidified by cool night air helps lower daytime intake air temperatures. The research modelled plate and cylinder designs using two inorganic materials, SP24E and SP26E, evaluated both with and without hybrid nanoparticles across varying ambient temperatures. The cylinder geometry achieved faster charging and discharging cycles than the plate configuration. Adding hybrid nanoparticles provided a short-term boost to cooling efficiency. Higher daytime inlet temperatures decreased power savings, the coefficient of performance, and the cooling duration. Overall, the cylinder configuration delivered a peak power saving of 16.4% over two hours of operation, whereas the plate design achieved a maximum saving of 6.4% over ten hours.
Air conditioning places heavy demands on power grids during hot daytime periods. By capturing cool night air using thermal storage materials enhanced with nanoparticles, cooling systems can pre-chill incoming air and reduce electricity consumption. Understanding how geometric design and material properties affect system efficiency helps engineers develop smarter, lower-energy cooling solutions for hot climates.
This work presents an early-stage numerical model that evaluates thermal energy storage integration for air conditioning manufacturers and building services engineers. While the simulations demonstrate peak power savings of up to 16.4%, the technology remains at a theoretical stage and requires physical prototyping, experimental validation, and durability testing before any commercial deployment or product development can occur.
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Abstract Air conditioning unit performance, coupled with new configurations of phase change material as thermal energy storage, is investigated in hot climates. During the daytime, the warm exterior air temperature is cooled when flowing over the phase change material structure that was previously solidified by the night ambient air. A theoretical transient model is constructed and solved numerically for the proposed design in plate and cylinder configurations. This model is studied at different inlet hot ambient air temperatures and phase change material types (SP24E and SP26E) without and with inclusion of hybrid nanoparticles. The results affirm that the discharging and charging duration for the cylinder is minimal compared to the plate configuration. Raising the inflow air temperature lowers the exit air temperature and air conditioning coefficient of performance and power-saving but shortens the cooling time. Using phase change material with a relatively low melting temperature increases the melting time and exit air temperature but reduces the charging time. Mixing hybrid nanoparticles with phase change material has a short-term positive influence on air conditioning performance. The maximum power saving for 2 h of working is 16.4% for the cylinder, while for 10 h of working, it is 6.4% for the plate.
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DOI: 10.1007/s11837-022-05629-x
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