Author(s)

Alain Guiavarch, Denis Bruneau, Bruno Peuportier

Centre Energétique et Procédés, MINES Paris Tech, Paris, France.
Département TREFLE, Institut de Mécanique et d’Ingénierie de Bordeaux, Talence, France.

A simplified PCM wallboard model is coupled to an existing design-oriented model of multi-zone buildings. Using a reference model and a basic simulation configuration, the accuracy of the resulting PCM wallboard-building thermal design tool is evaluated. A new performance indicator, called PCM utilization factor, is then proposed in order to estimate the thermal efficiency of using PCM wallboards in buildings. Using this PCM Utilization factor and a degrees-hours indicator, the ability of the PCM wallboard-building thermal design tool to evaluate the effect of PCM wallboards on heating loads and summer thermal comfort in the early design phase of a project is examined in two real case studies: a family house project and an existing office building. The user-friendliness of this design tool, and the short calculation times it leads to when performing a year-long simulation using a standard office computer, make it a well-adapted tool for sensibility studies or multi-criterion optimization for buildings that contain PCM wallboards.

Phase Change Material; Wallboard; Thermal Model; Dynamic Simulation; Summer Comfort; Design Tools

Guiavarch, A. , Bruneau, D. and Peuportier, B. (2014) Evaluation of Thermal Effect of PCM Wallboards by Coupling Simplified Phase Change Model with Design Tool. Journal of Building Construction and Planning Research, 2, 12-29. doi: 10.4236/jbcpr.2014.21002.