Full Description

This paper presents an experimental and numerical studyfocusing on the development of control-oriented thermalmodels of varying order for an actively charged/dischargedphase-change material thermal energy storage (PCM-TES)system intended for building integration. This PCM-TESsystem consists of five layers of phase-change material (PCM)panels with an air channel between the middle panels. Conditionedair is drawn through the cavity to charge and dischargethe PCM. The PCM-TES system is tested in an environmentalchamber where its dynamic response was carefully monitored.The monitored data is used for model validation. Compared toa detailed 30th order resistor-capacitor model, simplified 4thorder and 2nd order nonlinear models are shown to be able tosatisfactorily predict the thermal energy storage and release ofthe PCM-TES system. To simplify the PCM characterizationinput and to reduce the simulation time, a five-parameter equationis developed to model the PCM specific heat and a four parameterequation for its thermal conductivity. The presentedmodeling methodology is applicable for similar PCM-TESsystems with multiple PCM layers and airflow channels.

Citation: 2016 Winter Conference, Orlando, FL, Transactions 2016, Vol 122 pt. 1

Product Details

Published: 2016 Number of Pages: 11Units of Measure:DualFile Size: 1 file , 1.5 MB Product Code(s): D-OR-16-021