Experimental and numerical study of the thermal performance of a new type of phase change material room

A new type of phase change material (PCM) room was proposed in this paper to control the indoor air temperature for a better thermal comfort for human beings. That is to place two different kinds of PCM into room envelopes of different orientations. Both experimental and numerical studies were carried out for rooms with/without PCM. Indoor air temperature and interior surface heat flux of the two rooms were studied in typical summer and winter climate of Shanghai (31.2N, 121.5E). Important factors that affect the thermal performance of the PCM were studied, such as phase change temperature, thickness of the PCM and the arrangement of the two kinds of PCM in the room. Results showed that this new type of PCM room can decrease the indoor air temperature fluctuation by 4.3 degrees C in summer and 14.2 degrees C in winter. Different arrangements of the two kinds of PCM in the room can cause an indoor air temperature difference to be 6.9 degrees C in summer and 2.7 degrees C in winter. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.