Analysis of collector-storage building walls using phase-change materials

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(91)90084-A· OSTI ID:5987656

Ghoneim, A A ^[1]; Klein, S A; Duffie, J A ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Alexandria (Egypt)
2. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison (United States)

The use of thermal storage walls that serve both as solar collector and thermal storage is well known. The wall is usually composed of masonry or containers filled with water to provide sensible heat storage, i.e., storage resulting from the specific heat capacity of a material as it increases in temperature. An interesting alternative to the standard materials are phase-change materials (PCMs) which employ latent heat storage. Latent heat storage utilizes the energy associated with a change of state of a material such as the transition from a solid-to-liquid, or liquid-to-gas. The solid-to-liquid phase change is preferred for many applications because of the much smaller volume change resulting in this transition for a given amount of energy storage. This paper summarizes the results of a simulation study of the use of PCMs as a collector-storage wall.

• OSTI ID: 5987656
• Journal Information: Solar Energy (Journal of Solar Energy Science and Engineering); (United States), Vol. 47:3; ISSN 0038-092X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS
PERFORMANCE
TROMBE WALLS
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
BRICKS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
LATENT HEAT STORAGE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SIMULATION
SOLAR COLLECTORS
USES
BUILDING MATERIALS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
EVALUATION
HEAT STORAGE
HEATING SYSTEMS
MATERIALS
PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
STORAGE
WALLS
142000* - Solar Energy- Heat Storage- (1980-)
141000 - Solar Collectors & Concentrators