The Analysis of the Energy Saving Performances of Building Materials using Phase Change Materials

상변화물질을 적용한 건축자재의 에너지절약 가능성 분석

Thermal storage plays an important role in building energy saving, which is greatly assisted by the incorporation of latent heat storage in building materials. A phase change material is a substance with a high heat of fusion which, melting and solidifying at a certain temperature, can be storing and releasing large amount of energy. Heat is stored or released when the material changes from solid to liquid. Integration of building materials incorporating PCMs into the building envelope can result in increased efficiency of the built environment. The aim of this research is to identify thermal performance of PCMs impregnated building materials which is applied to interior of building such as gypsum and red clay. In order to analyze thermal performance of phase change materials, test-cell experiments and simulation analysis were carried out. The results show that micro-encapsulated PCM has an effect to maintain a constant indoor temperature using latent heat through the test-cell experiments. PCM wallboard makes it possible to reduce the fluctuation of room temperature and heating and cooling load by using EnergyPlus simulation program. Phase change material can store solar energy directly in buildings. Increasing the heat capacity of a building is capable of improving human comfort by decreasing the frequency of indoor air temperature swings so that the interior air temperature is closer to the desired temperature for a long period of time.