Development of novel form-stable composite phase change materials and integration in building for thermal regulation

Abstract

The integration of phase change materials (PCMs) into building components has attracted in-creasing interest in stabilising indoor temperatures by enhancing the thermal energy storage (TES) capacity and decreasing temperature swings, which lead to an improvement in buildings' thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Gypsum board, with the advantages of low cost and ease of placement, has wide applications for ceiling or wall covering. Thus, PCMs have great potential to be incorporated into gypsum board to improve the energy performance of buildings. However, the application of PCMs has been remarkably restrained by their poor shape stability during the phase change process. Accordingly, a challenge to practical application is that the PCM leak from the building materials. Moreover, due to its low thermal conductivity, the low heat transfer rate of normal PCM also acts as a block upon the wide utilisation of its enormous TES capacity benefits. As yet, very little research has been conducted to study the performance and benefits of using PCMs in real houses, especially in combination with thermal insulation. This study aims to overcome the above issues by containing PCM in porous diatomite material to develop form-stable composite PCM (FSPCM) and study the influence of using FSPCM in max-imising the TES capacity of gypsum board for improving the thermal performance of houses. Test results showed that the produced FSPCM with 48.7 wt.% of diatomite enhanced the thermal conductivity of PCM by 63.7% and eliminated the leakage issue above the PCM melting point. Experimental studies were conducted to develop an energy storage gypsum board by incorporating 40 wt.% of FSPCM in the board. An experimental study and a numerical investigation were conducted to investigate the feasibility of using the FSPCM board as a retrofitting solution to a model house in Sydney, Australia. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the combined use of FSPCM board and thermal insulation in improving the energy efficiency of residential houses was investigated.

Date of Award	2021
Original language	English