Design and Development of a PCMs based building envelope

Project Title

Design and Development of a PCMs based building envelope

Project Area of Specialization Wearables and ImplantableProject Summary

40% of electricity is consumed in the world for getting thermal comfort in summer. Even Pakistan uses 47.2 % of its energy to get thermal comfort. Even Pakistan is facing electricity problems.

So engineers work on different material by which consumption of energy can be reduced. They have introduced passive method in which bricks (made by earth) are used but it works good in high storey buildings. So they come up with phase changing material (PCM). PCM can be in solid or liquid when temperature rises it change the phase and stores energy which gives the thermal comfort.

Project Objectives

The prime objective of this study is to design and develop a PCMs based building envelope to augment the indoor comfort through energy efficient methodology.

To find the most optimum PCM based on the climate of Islamabad.

To design a prototype test room and then integrate PCMS into its walls.

To measure the thermal load of the test room before and after the integration PCMs.

To Check Prototype test room energy performance with the help of DesignBuilder software.

Project Implementation Method

In project we will initially focus on appropriate selection of PCMs for building applications according to the climate conditions of Islamabad.

Firstly we will designed a test room prototype of dimensions 0.61 m × 0.60 m × 0.83 m.

The thermal load of the test room will be measured in the initial stage.

After initial measurements PCM will be integrated into the walls of the test room to see the change in heat flux before and after the integration of PCM.

The thermal conductivity of the test room will be measured using the HFM-100 Heat Flow Meter method, in which two flux sensors will be utilized to measure the thermal conductivity and thermal resistance.

The PCM selection is done on the basis of literature review and average climate temperature of the Islamabad.

The material selected having the most suitable melting temperature and also economical price is material company having a melting temperature of 28oC.

In this study PCM are integrated through combination of PCM walls and air/ventilation.

In this application method the PCM walls are combined with air.

In the system, the air gap is formed between a single or double layer of glass or plastic glazing and the wall is filled with PCM.

The wall is heated during the day by incoming solar radiation, melting the PCM.

The heat stored is used to warm the room by natural convection at night.

The test room CAD model will be designed in Solidworks software and will be imported to DesignBuilder for calculating the prototype test room energy performance.

DesignBuilder software will be used for calculating test room energy consumption.

The suggested concept will be suitable for both residential and business purposes and will provide long-term results.

This passive technique will give answers for remote off-grid places as well as preserving optimal human thermal comfort indoors.

The innovative building design would be working at maximum thermal efficiency and low operational cost.

Benefits of the Project

• It will be easy to achieve Thermal comfort without using of electricity
• The energy which will be consumed that will be low
• It can be used in residential as well as commercial building
• It support Go Green energy.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

A phase change material (PCM) is a substance which releases/absorbs sufficient energy at phase transition to provide useful heat/cooling. Generally the transition will be from one of the first two fundamental states of matter - solid and liquid - to the other. The phase transition may also be between non-classical states of matter, such as the conformity of crystals, where the material goes from conforming to one crystalline structure to conforming to another, which may be a higher or lower energy state.

The energy released/absorbed by phase transition from solid to liquid, or vice versa, the heat of fusion is generally much higher than the sensible heat. Ice, for example, requires 333.55 J/g to melt, but then water will rise one degree further with the addition of just 4.18 J/g. Water/ice is therefore a very useful phase change material and has been used to store winter cold to cool buildings in summer since at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire.

By melting and solidifying at the phase change temperature (PCT), a PCM is capable of storing and releasing large amounts of energy compared to sensible heat storage. Heat is absorbed or released when the material changes from solid to liquid and vice versa or when the internal structure of the material changes; PCMs are accordingly referred to as latent heat storage (LHS) materials.

PCMs are used in many different commercial applications where energy storage and/or stable temperatures are required, including, among others, heating pads, cooling for telephone switching boxes, and clothing.

By far the biggest potential market is for building heating and cooling. In this application area, PCMs hold potential in light of the progressive reduction in the cost of renewable electricity, coupled with the intermittent nature of such electricity. This can result in a misfit between peak demand and availability of supply. In North America, China, Japan, Australia, Southern Europe and other developed countries with hot summers, peak supply is at midday while peak demand is from around 17:00 to 20:00. This creates opportunities for thermal storage media.

Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry Energy Other IndustriesCore Technology OthersOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Affordable and Clean EnergyRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	23276
Parrafin C18	Equipment	2	2328	4656
Flux sensor	Equipment	2	2310	4620
Prototype material	Equipment	1	4000	4000
Shipment	Miscellaneous	1	10000	10000