article · Case Studies in Construction Materials
Passive thermal energy storage using phase change materials helps cut building energy demands and regulate indoor comfort. A numerical investigation examined building walls incorporating phase change materials under semi-arid climatic conditions. The assessment tested variables including material thickness, phase-change temperature ranges, wall placement, layer configurations, and the influence of mechanical ventilation. Integrating these materials effectively dampens indoor temperature fluctuations while lowering heating and cooling loads. Among individual options, RT-28 HC achieved the strongest performance. Multi-layered configurations outperformed single layers, decreasing energy consumption by 7.30 percent to 15.21 percent. A triple-layer setup combined with mechanical ventilation delivered the best summer load shifting and energy efficiency. Specifically, a three-layer wall combining RT-21, RT-25, and RT-28 HC paraffin yielded annual energy savings of 102 kilowatt-hours for heating and 324 kilowatt-hours for cooling.
Managing indoor temperatures in semi-arid climates typically requires substantial electricity for heating and air conditioning. By using passive materials that absorb and release heat at specific temperatures, buildings can naturally stabilise indoor climates. This approach lowers utility demands, eases strain on electrical grids during peak periods, and cuts operational costs without sacrificing thermal comfort for occupants.
The findings inform the design of energy-efficient building envelopes, prefabricated wall panels, and passive cooling systems for construction in semi-arid regions. Building material manufacturers and architectural engineering firms could utilise these multi-layer paraffin specifications to develop climate-optimised insulation products. Because this study is entirely numerical, the technology remains at an early, computer-modelled stage, requiring real-world physical prototyping and on-site experimental validation before market deployment.
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Passive latent heat thermal energy storage technologies with phase change materials (PCM) provide a potential solution to reduce energy demand and regulate the thermal comfort in occupied buildings. In this study, a numerical investigation is carried out on PCM-enhanced integrated building walls under the semi-arid climate to set the key parameters for the effective utilisation of PCM. A parametric study of PCM-composites walls is performed, including phase-change temperatures range, thicknesses, location, configurations, and mechanical ventilation effect on the performance of PCM integrated building walls. The results showed that the PCM-integrated walls improve indoor comfort and reduce cooling and heating loads and temperature fluctuations. The optimal PCM was RT-28 HC for the semi-arid climate with the highest annual average ATFR of 1.91 °C. In addition, the use of the double layers and triple layers PCM is more efficient compared to the single-layer PCM with energy consumption reduction from 7,30% to 15,21%. Also, the triple-layer system with mechanical ventilation showed the best energy efficiency and load shifting performance in the summer season. Finally, this research reveals that a triple configuration PCM wall comprising the paraffin RT-21+RT-25+RT-28 HC as PCM provides an optimal energy performance for heating in winter and free cooling in summer, as well as an annual energy saving of 102 kWh and 324 kWh in the heating and cooling season respectively, which considerably reduces the annual energy consumption.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e00979
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