Parametric study of the impact of incorporated PCM inside a lightweight wall on indoor temperature fluctuations

Abstract

The utilization of phase change materials (PCM) in the building structure for thermal regulation has attracted considerable interest from researchers. The PCM can be integrated at various locations inside the building's outside walls, resulting in a unique thermal behavior of the structure. Nevertheless, the prevailing research predominantly The focus of this study is on an experimental test rig in a certain climate, and phase change materials (PCM) are not effective enough at controlling temperature in lightweight structures in those conditions. Consequently, two experimental test rigs (one with PCM and one without) of identical dimensions were constructed and analyzed in this study to examine the variations in interior temperature across different ambient conditions without mechanical systems. The findings reveal a significant seasonal influence of phase change materials (PCMs) on the thermal efficiency of lightweight structures, with varying contributions across different ambient temperatures. and the rate of internal surface temperature attenuation in the summer season can be diminished by 7 % compared to the reference wall. In addition to PCMs, they can effectively mitigate indoor temperature fluctuations, reducing the maximum indoor temperature. The research findings can offer a theoretical foundation and empirical evidence for the effective utilization of PCMs in lightweight structures.