Three-dimensional Simulation of the Thermal Performance of Porous Building Brick Impregnated with Phase Changen Material

Three-dimensional Simulation of the Thermal Performance of Porous Building Brick Impregnated with Phase Changen Material

Nidhal Ben Khedher* Sassi Ben Nasrallah

Université de Monastir, École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Monastir, Laboratoire d'Études des Systèmes Thermiques et Énergétiques LESTE, Avenue Ibn El Jazzar 5019, Monastir, TUNISIE

Corresponding Author Email: 
nidhal.ben.khedher@gmail.com
Page: 
237-243
|
DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.18280/ijht.320135
Received: 
N/A
| |
Accepted: 
N/A
| | Citation

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

Integration of phase change materials (PCMs) into building fabrics is considered to be one of the potential and effective ways of minimizing energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the building sector. The application of such materials for building construction makes it possible to improve thermal comfort in summer and reduce heating energy consumption in winter. The choice of a PCM depends deeply on the building structure, on the weather and on building use: numerical modelling is indispensable. The thermal performances of a brick impregnated with PCM (PCM-brick) have been numerically investigated in a full scale test room. The PCM-brick is assumed to be a porous medium saturated with PCM. Three-dimensional model is developed to asses the thermal behaviour of this porous medium (PCM-brick). The volume averaged energy equation with phase change in the porous medium is discretized by the control volume finite element method (CVFEM). The resulted algebraic equation was solved by the Bi-Conjugate Gradient Stabilized iterative solver. A series of numerical tests are then undertaken to assess the effects of PCM type, matrix porosity and brick thickness on the indoor air temperature for three summer days.

Keywords: 

PCM-brick, porous medium, Three-dimensional, CVFEM, thermal comfort

1. Introduction
2. Modelling
3. Numerical Treatment
4. Results and Discussions
5. Conclusion
6. Nomenclature
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