Phase Change Material Based ThermalStorage for Energy Conservation inBuilding Architecture

Abstract

Efficient and economical technology that can be used to store large amounts of heat or cold in adefinite volume is the subject of research for a long time. Thermal storage plays an important role inbuilding energy conservation, which is greatly assisted by the incorporation of latent heat storage inbuilding products. Latent heat storage in a phase change material (PCM) is very attractive becauseof its high storage density with small temperature swing. It has been demonstrated that for thedevelopment of a latent heat storage system (LHTS) in a building fabric, the choice of the PCM playsan important role in addition to heat transfer mechanism in the PCM. Thermal energy storage in thewalls, ceiling and floor of buildings may be enhanced by encapsulating or embedding suitable phasechange materials (PCMs) within these surfaces. They can either capture solar energy directly orthermal energy through natural convection. Increasing the thermal storage capacity of a buildingcan increase human comfort by decreasing the frequency of internal air temperature swings so thatthe indoor air temperature is closer to the desired temperature for a longer period of time. This paperaims to submit the information on the developments of PCM incorporation in buildings for energysaving, the problems associated with the selection of phase change material and the various methodsused to contain them for space heating and cooling applications.