Thermal response of brick wall filled with phase change materials (PCM) under fluctuating outdoor temperatures

Based on the enthalpy-porosity technique, a model of thermal conduction accompanied with solidification and melting processes is developed and numerically analyzed to investigate the thermal response of the brick wall filled with phase change materials (PCM). The thermal response, which is represented by indoor wall surface temperature response, of brick wall filled with PCM is evaluated and compared with that of solid brick wall. The effects of PCM filling and its filling amount on thermal response of brick wall are investigated and discussed. It is indicated that, compared to the common solid brick wall, the thermal storage of brick wall filled with PCM is elevated by the alternate process of melting and solidification under fluctuating outdoor temperatures. The use of PCM in the brick walls is beneficial for the thermal insulation, temperature hysteresis and thermal comfort for occupancy. In addition, with the increasing filling amount of PCM, the fluctuation of indoor wall surface temperature is significantly smoothed. Correspondingly, the hysteresis in response to the outdoor temperature fluctuation is enhanced. Moreover, the present model is verified by experimental data available in the literature.     

Thermal isolation and mechanical properties of fibre reinforced mud bricks as wall materials

Fibre reinforced mud bricks, which are studied in this paper, provide the expected technical performance for the thermal isolation and mechanical properties, according to ASTM and Turkish standards. The mechanical properties of waste materials and some stabilisers were investigated thoroughly and some concrete conclusions were drawn. The fibre reinforced mud bricks fulfill the compressive strength and heat conductivity requirements of the ASTM and Turkish standards. Mud bricks with plastic fibers showed a higher compressive strength than those with straw, polystyrene and without any fibers. Basaltic pumice as an ingredient was found to decrease the thermal conductivity coefficient of fibre reinforced mud bricks. The fibre reinforced mud brick house has been found to be superior to the concrete brick house for keeping indoor temperatures stationary during the summer and winter.     

Heat conduction across double brick walls via BEM

The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is used to compare the steady-state heat and moisture diffusion behaviour across double brick walls provided by two different models: in the first one, the brick wall is assumed to be composed of a set of homogeneous layers bonded together, which is the model frequently used to predict internal condensation; in the second model, the geometrical modelling and hygrothermal properties of the individual bricks are taken into account.The BEM is implemented allowing the use of multi boundaries, which permits the full discretization of the brick cavities.Three different construction solutions are analysed. In the first, the double-brick wall is assumed not to be thermally insulated; in the second, the space between the two layers of bricks is filled with thermal insulation material; in the third solution, both the space between the brick layers and the holes of the inner brick layer are filled with thermal insulating material.     

Modeling and simulation on the thermal performance of shape-stabilized phase change material floor used in passive solar buildings

Shape-stabilized phase change material (PCM) is a kind of novel PCM. It has the following salient features: large apparent specific heat for phase change temperature region, suitable thermal conductivity, no container. In the present paper, a kind of shape-stabilized PCM floor is put forward which can absorb the solar radiation energy in the daytime and release the heat at night in winter. Therefore, in winter the indoor climate can be improved and the energy consumption for space heating may be greatly reduced. A model of analyzing the thermal performance of this shape-stabilized PCM floor is developed. By using the modeling, the influence of various factors (thickness of PCM layer, melting temperature, heat of fusion, thermal conductivity of PCM, etc.) on the room thermal performance was analyzed. The model was verified by the experimental results. The model and the analysis are helpful for the application of shape-stabilized PCM floor in solar buildings.     

Untersuchung der thermisch‐hygrischen Eigenschaften von Ziegeln mit Hohlraumfüllung aus Recyclingmaterial

Investigation on the thermal‐hygral behaniour of bricks with canity filling by recycling meterials. In the investigation project was examined whether bricks with simple cavity structure have a higher heat resistance by use of a heat insulation material filling in the cavities. The insulation material is a recycled product made of polystyrene and wood covered and bonded with cement. The influence of the configuration and thickness of the perforated bricks with vertical perforations and the geometry of the cavities of the brick on the thermal moisture states was evaluated. For investigation of the thermal resistance and the heat transmission coefficients were used the simulation program THERM, that considered the heat transportation through conduction in the brick fragments and the transport mechanisms conduction, convection and radiation in the airfilled cavities. The software package WUFI 2D was employed for the investigation of moisture transfer in the bricks. The investigations showed that the composite brick insulation stone has a thermal resistance twice as high as the initial brick. The moisture states can be partially in the brick more than 80 % humidity. This load is estimated as uncritical because the wooden particles are covered with cement slime.     

Energy savings potential by integrating Phase Change Material into hollow bricks: The case of Moroccan buildings

The building sector in Morocco represents 25% of the country’s total energy consumption. The poor thermal performance of the building envelopes is one of the principal reasons for this consumption rate. In this study, the efficiency of integrating Phase Change Materials (PCM) into hollow bricks used in three typical housing types in the six climate zones in Morocco is investigated. The numerical model is based on the heat transfer equation and the apparent heat capacity formulation to model the phase change. A heat flux analysis is performed at the internal surface of the wall, giving a good understanding of the thermal behavior of hollow bricks with PCMs compared with hollow bricks with air. The results show that the heat flux density at the internal face of the wall is constant when the PCM is partially solid/liquid, and follows the outdoor conditions when the PCM is fully solid or fully liquid. Irrespective of the climate zone, the PCM with a 32 °C median melting temperature reduces the heat flux peak value in the hotel housing while the PCM with a 37 °C median melting temperature is better for the individual and collective housing. On the other hand, the PCM with a 27 °C median melting temperature is able to save up to 25% and 40% of energy consumption in the Saharan climate and oceanic climate, respectively.     

Transfer function coefficients for time varying coupled heat transfers in vertically heated hollow concrete bricks

This paper describes a two step numerical procedure to determinate empirical transfer function coefficients (TFCs) for vertically heated hollow concrete bricks. For such systems TFCs cannot be generated using the analytical techniques available in the literature such as the z-transfer function method or the space state representation method because of the nonlinear local character of the heat transfer by natural convection and radiation in the air cells of the hollow concrete bricks. The first step of the procedure consists in predicting coupled heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation in realistic time varying conditions using a detailed numerical simulation. In the second step, the results of the simulation (the time-varying heat fluxes at the hollow brick surfaces) are used to obtain empirical transfer function coefficients using an identification technique. Transfer function coefficients are generated for three different types of hollow concrete bricks mostly used in practice. It is shown that the empirical transfer function coefficients permit fast and accurate prediction of heat transfer for thermal excitations that differ markedly from those used to generate these coefficients without solving the complex system of equations governing the coupled heat transfer mechanisms.     

How phase change materials affect thermal performance: hollow bricks

The enhancement of rooftop thermal-insulation capability is a key issue in energy conservation in hot and humid climates, where flat roofs receive the greatest solar heat gain. During the process of melting or solidification, a phase change material (PCM) can effectively release or store a great amount of latent heat. As a result, PCM has often been applied for the purpose of environmental control. Experiments analysed the effects on thermal characteristics of adding PCM to conventional hollow thermal-insulation bricks. Two identical test models with untreated and PCM-treated bricks, respectively, were located nearby in field. They were exposed to solar radiation at the same time on typically clear summer days. PCM-treated bricks had a better daytime thermal insulation effect than ordinary hollow bricks. When the maximum outdoor temperature was 35.5°C, the maximum underside temperature of PCM-treated bricks was 31.7°C, which was 4.9°C lower than that of the untreated bricks. In addition, PCM-treated bricks can provide more effective indoor heat preservation at night when temperatures fall outdoors.

L'amélioration des performances des isolations thermiques de toiture est un élément clé des économies d'énergie dans les climats chauds et humides, où les toits plats reçoivent la plus grande partie de l'apport par rayonnement solaire. Pendant le processus de fusion ou de solidification, un matériau à changement de phase (PCM) peut effectivement dégager ou stocker une quantité importante de chaleur latente. C'est pour cette raison que les PCM ont souvent été utilisés pour la régulation d'ambiance. On a procédé à des expériences pour analyser les effets sur les caractéristiques thermiques de l'ajout de PCM à des briques creuses classiques d'isolation thermique. Deux modèles identiques de test avec des briques non traitées et des briques traitées avec des PCM ont été disposés à proximité l'un de l'autre sur le terrain. Ils ont été exposés au rayonnement solaire, au même moment, en été, par temps clair. Les briques traitées au PCM ont un meilleur effet d'isolation thermique de jour que les briques creuses ordinaires. Lorsque la température extérieure maximale était de 35,5°C, la température maximale de la face inférieure des briques traitées au PCM était de 31,7°C, soit 4,9°C de moins que la température des briques non traitées. De plus, les briques traitées au PCM peuvent assurer une conservation de la chaleur intérieure plus efficace la nuit lorsque les températures chutent à l'extérieur.

Mots clés: technologie alternative, briques, confort, absorption de la chaleur, matériau à changement de phase (PCM), toit, isolation thermique     

蓄能保温砖的制备和保温性能实验

基材砖体以粉煤灰和硅酸钠为主要原料制备,砖体内部填充定量的水合盐相变储能包覆材料后,制备了一种新型复合储能建材——粉煤灰胶体保温蓄能砖(PCM砖)。对该砖体进行了48h的仿真环境热学性能试验,与普通红砖进行了对比,试验结果表明,由于储能的作用,PCM砖起到了调节温度热波动的作用。热流的波动幅度被削弱,作用的时间被推后,将温度变化维持在较小的范围内,可作为保温墙体材料进行应用。     

Study of the geometry of a voided clay brick using non-rectangular perforations to optimise its thermal properties

This study seeks to improve the geometrical distribution of bricks to optimise the equivalent thermal transmittance of a wall built of Termoarcilla^® ECO 29 voided clay bricks, using calculations according to Spanish UNE [1], AENOR [10], European EN [6], [7], [8] and [9] and international ISO [11] and [12] standards.The objective is to study improvements in the wall's thermal conductivity, always remembering the limitations imposed by the manufacturing process. Simulations are made using a finite elements application [14].It is concluded that, within the possibilities allowed by the manufacturing process, with non-rectangular voids the heat flux has to cross a higher number of voids, which improves its thermal properties. A rhomboid layout of voids with the longer diagonal at right angles to the heat flux is the best internal void layout. If the internal perforations are also extended to the end of the tongue and groove, the direct thermal bridge in this type of brick is broken.Finally, a 290 mm wide brick with 25 rows is obtained with the geometrical properties described above which shows an improvement of almost 16% over the original ECO 29 brick, performing well in all climatic areas of Spain, with a full-bed mortar joint 30 mm thick.     

相变材料应用于外墙表面隔热的研究

根据表面隔热机理,通过对普通外墙的理论计算分析,设计了新型的相变墙体。相变材料应用于外墙体外表面,夏季能有效的改善建筑物的外表面热环境,降低传入室内的热量,缓解室内空调冷负荷。同时,提出隔热相变材料的相变温度、掺量在不同气候环境下的选择方法。     

黑液粉煤灰烧结砖的研制

本文以粉煤灰为主要原料、少量粘土为粘结剂、改性黑液为成型剂进行了烧结砖研制。讨论了粉煤灰与黑液用量对烧结砖性能的影响 ,并通过正交试验求出最佳配比与工艺参数。试验结果表明 ,这种烧结砖可达到GB50 10— 85标准中MU15级的要求 ,且比普通粘土烧结砖质量轻、保温性能好。     

相变墙体冬季传热性能评价及相变参数优化

本文从相变墙体冬季的传热过程出发,提出“保温因子”和“放热因子”评价其传热性能。然后,利用热阻法建立相变墙体在冬季的传热模型,并利用单因素分析的方法研究相变墙体内外层热阻和相变温度对“保温因子”和“放热因子”的影响,结果显示当相变墙体的作用是保温的情况下,相变层应布置在墙体的外侧,相变温度应该接近室内空气温度。当相变墙体的作用是放热的情况下,相变层应布置在墙体的内侧,相变温度应该尽量高一些。本研究可以为相变墙体的应用提供理论支持。     

Performance of phase change material boards under natural convection

The high thermal storage capacity of phase change material (PCM) can reduce energy consumption in buildings through energy storage and release when combined with renewable energy sources, night cooling, etc. PCM boards can be used to absorb heat gains during daytime and release heat at night. In this paper, the thermal performance of an environmental chamber fitted with phase change material boards has been investigated. During a full-cycle experiment, i.e. charging–releasing cycle, the PCM boards on a wall can reduce the interior wall surface temperature during the charging process, whereas the PCM wall surface temperature is higher than that of the other walls during the heat releasing process. It is found that the heat flux density of the PCM wall in the melting zone is almost twice as large as that of ordinary wall. Also, the heat-insulation performance of a PCM wall is better than that of an ordinary wall during the charging process, while during the heat discharging process, the PCM wall releases more heat energy. The convective heat transfer coefficient of PCM wall surface calculated using equations for a normal wall material produces an underestimation of this coefficient. The high convective heat transfer coefficient for a PCM wall is due to the increased energy exchange between the wall and indoor air.     

Steady state theoretical model of fired clay hollow bricks for enhanced external wall thermal insulation

This paper proposes a theoretical model to study the steady state thermal behavior of fired clay hollow bricks for enhanced external wall thermal insulation. The study aims at the development of new materials and structural components with good thermal material properties, with respect to energy saving and ecological design. Thermal insulation capacity of two external walls of different thicknesses, constructed of locally produced bricks, is studied. The basic brick units used for the investigation are small-size bricks with eight equal cavities or recesses and big-size bricks with twelve equal recesses. Their recesses configuration has been varied to perform the assessment. The insulation materials injected within brick recesses during the assessment are granulated cork and expanded polystyrene. The improvement in the thermal performance of the walls will be the result of optimization among the various factors such as brick cavity configurations, integration of insulation within brick recesses and the cavity surface emissivities. So emphasis is given to the study of the impact of these factors singly or in combination on the overall thermal resistance of walls in order to find out the best design solutions to maximize their thermal insulation capacity. Computer modeling and calculations performed, for steady state conditions, show that the increase in hollow brick cavity height contributes to the improvement of the overall thermal resistance of the order of 18–20%. The improvement could significantly increase to the range of 88.64% and 93.33%, if the bricks used are injected with the insulating material. If the cavity surface emissivities are lowered to 0.3, the improvement will be 72.73–78.33%. The results have also shown that replacing the cork by expanded polystyrene (EPS), having lower thermal conductivity, would not improve significantly the overall thermal resistance. This improvement is 9.08% for a wall of small-size bricks having configuration BS2CV and 8.34% for a wall of big-size bricks having configuration BB3CV.     

Numerical simulation by the FVM of coupled heat transfers by conduction, natural convection and radiation in honeycomb’s hollow bricks

This paper presents a detailed numerical study, in steady state regime, of the interaction between two dimensional heat transfers by conduction, natural convection and radiation in double hollow bricks formed by two honeycomb walls separated by an air layer. The air motion in all cavities of the system is laminar. The left and right vertical sides of the hollow bricks are considered isothermal and maintained at different constant temperatures. The top and bottom horizontal sides are assumed to be adiabatic. The governing equations are solved using the finite volume method (FVM) and the SIMPLE algorithm. The impact of the thickness of the air layer on the global heat flux through the structure is discussed. The simulation results show that the variation of the overall heat flux through each hollow brick as a function of the temperature difference ΔT between the vertical sides of the system is almost linear for the different types of double hollow bricks considered. This linear thermal behaviour allowed the generation of appropriate overall heat exchange coefficients that permit fast and accurate prediction of heat transfers through the hollow bricks without solving the complex system of equations governing the coupled heat transfers. Comparison of the performance of different types of double hollow bricks is made.     

Effect of double layer phase change material in building roof for year round thermal management

Efficient and economical technology that can be used to store large amounts of heat or cold in a definite volume is the subject of research for a long time. Latent heat storage in a phase change material (PCM) is very attractive because of its high-energy storage density and its isothermal behavior during the phase change process. Thermal storage plays a major role in building energy conservation, which is greatly assisted by the incorporation of latent heat storage in building products. Increasing the thermal storage capacity of a building can enhance human comfort by decreasing the frequency of internal air temperature swings so that the indoor air temperature is closer to the desired temperature for a longer period of time. However, it is impossible to select a phase change material to suit all the weather condition in a given location. The PCM that reduces the internal air temperature swing during the winter season is not suitable for the summer season as the PCM remains in the liquid state at all the times during these months and hence the system cannot exploit the latent heat effect. This paper attempts to study the thermal performance of an inorganic eutectic PCM based thermal storage system for thermal management in a residential building. The system has been analyzed by theoretical and experimental investigation. A double layer PCM concept is studied in detail to achieve year round thermal management in a passive manner.     

Preparation,thermal performance and application of shape-stabilized PCM in energy efficient buildings

Shape-stabilized phase change material (PCM) is a kind of novel PCM. It has the following salient features: large apparent specific heat for phase change temperature region, suitable thermal conductivity, keeping shape stabilized in the phase change process and no need for containers. The preparation for such kind material was investigated and its thermophysical properties were measured. Some applications of such material in energy efficient buildings (e.g., in electric under floor space heating system, in wallboard or floor to absorb solar energy to narrow the temperature swing of a day in winter) were studied. Some models of analyzing the thermal performance of the systems were developed, which were validated with the experiments. The following conclusions are obtained: (1) the applications of the novel PCM we put forward are of promising perspectives in some climate regions; (2) by using different paraffin, the melting temperature of shape-stabilized PCM can be adjusted; (3) the heat of fusion of it is in the range of 62–138 kJ kg⁻¹; (4) for PCM floor or wallboard to absorb solar energy to narrow the temperature swing in a day in winter, the suitable melting temperature of PCM should be a little higher than average indoor air temperature of the room without PCM for the period of sunshine; (5) for the electric under-floor space heating system, the optimal melting temperature can be determined by simulation; (6) PCM layer used in the aforementioned application should not be thicker than 2 cm; (7) the models developed by us are helpful for applications of shape-stabilized PCM in buildings.     

A new model based on experimental results for the thermal characterization of bricks

The development of fast and reliable protocols to determine the characteristics of building materials is of importance in order to develop environmentally friendly houses with an efficient energy design. In this article heat flux evolution on different types of clay and concrete bricks has been studied using a guarded hot-plate. The studied bricks were purchased from local commercially available sources and included a solid face brick and a range of honeycombed and perforated bricks. From the data collected a new model to study heat flux is proposed. This model is based on the shape of the typical sigmoidal curves observed for the time dependent heat flux evolution. The model allows the calculation of the thermal resistance (R) and the heat flux in the steady-state (φ_∞). The model also calculates two new parameters, t_B and τ_B. t_B represents the time at which half φ_∞ is attained. This parameter (t_B) has additionally been found to be dependent on the thermal diffusivity and the geometric characteristics of the brick.     

Experimental study of under-floor electric heating system with shape-stabilized PCM plates

This paper put forward a new kind of under-floor electric heating system with shape-stabilized phase change material (PCM) plates. Different from conventional PCM, shape-stabilized PCM can keep the shape unchanged during phase change process. Therefore, the PCM leakage danger can be avoided. This system can charge heat by using cheap nighttime electricity and discharge the heat stored at daytime. In the present work, the thermal physical properties of shape-stabilized PCM developed by us were measured. A prototype room with this system was set up in Beijing to testify its thermal performance and feasibility of this heating mode. The results show that temperature of the PCM plates upper surface can be kept near the phase transition temperature in whole day and a lot of off-peak period electricity can be used for space heating in stead of using peak period electricity, which obviously lowers the electricity tariff.