A numerical model to evaluate the thermal behaviour of PCM glazing systems
Authors: Publication Year: 2012

The adoption of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in building components is an up-to-date topic and a relevant number of research activities on this issue are currently on the way. A particular application of PCMs in the building envelope focuses on the integration of such a kind of material into transparent envelope components. A numerical model that describes the thermo-physical behaviour of a PCM layer in combination with other transparent materials (i.e. glass panes) has been developed to perform numerical analyses on various PCM glazing systems configurations. The paper illustrates the structure of the model, the main equations implemented and the hypotheses adopted for the model development. The comparison between numerical simulations and experimental data of a simple PCM glazing configuration is also presented to show the potentials and the limitations of the numerical model. While a good agreement between simulations and experimental data can be shown for the surface temperature of the glazing, the comparison between simulated and measured transmitted irradiances and heat fluxes does not always reach the desired accuracy. However, the numerical tool seems to predict well the thermo-physical behaviour of the system and may therefore represent a good starting point for further simulations on PCM glazing system configurations.

Additional Info

  • WP: Climate-adapted low-energy envelope technologies
  • Publication Year: 2012
  • Pages: 385-392
  • Name of proceedings: 5th International Building Physics Conference
  • Name of conference: IBPC 2012
  • Town: Kyoto
  • Country: Japan
  • Date from: Monday, 28 May 2012
  • Date to: Thursday, 31 May 2012

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