Experimental performance of latent thermal energy storage for sustainable cooling of buildings in hot-arid regions

Zeinelabdein, Rami; Omer, Siddig; Gan, Guohui

Abstract

Highlights • A modular PCM-air heat exchanger for free cooling of buildings has been proposed • Narrow air flow channels result in a higher cooling potential and a faster charging process • Thermal comfort period provided by the system during the discharging phase is not affected by the air channels height • Inlet air temperature and flow rate have a significant impact on the PCM charging and discharging performance Abstract The use of phase change material (PCM) as energy storage of cooling during the night-time to be retrieved during the daytime is one of the sustainable strategies for cooling buildings. Application of this strategy in hot climates is scarce, and the majority of published work has been conducted in moderate and continental climates. Therefore, in the present work, a modular PCM-air heat exchanger appropriate for buildings application in hot-arid regions has been investigated, utilising commercial paraffin-based RT28HC PCM modules. The thermal performance of the proposed system has been investigated under various operating conditions for different PCM modules arrangements. The results confirmed that a compact TES unit with narrow air flow channels has a better thermal performance, resulting in 10-14% reduction in the charging time, whilst this has a negligible impact on the comfort time during the discharging period. The results have shown that the proposed system is capable of operating satisfactorily under hot-arid climate conditions, and substantial energy savings are achievable.

Citation

Zeinelabdein, R., Omer, S., & Gan, G. (2019). Experimental performance of latent thermal energy storage for sustainable cooling of buildings in hot-arid regions. Energy and Buildings, 186, 169-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.01.013

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 16, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jan 22, 2019
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Mar 5, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 5, 2019
• Journal: Energy and Buildings
• Electronic ISSN: 1872-6178
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 186
• Pages: 169-185
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.01.013
• Keywords: Mechanical Engineering; Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Civil and Structural Engineering; Building and Construction
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1607145
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778818319042
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Experimental performance of latent thermal energy storage for sustainable cooling of buildings in hot-arid regions; Journal Title: Energy and Buildings; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.01.013; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.