Phase Change Material Paper Study

Phase change material (PCM) is a thermal energy storage device that utilizes its high storage density and latent heat properties to decrease the cooling load on the air conditioning unit. PCM appears in a variety of compositions of organic and inorganic materials. PCM products are being designed for wall board, duct work, floor panels, ceiling tiles, and as an extra layer adjacent to insulation in walls and attics with the goal to decrease space cooling and heating loads. This project will analyze the market and energy efficiency potential of the aforementioned PCM applications.

Phase change material (PCM) in commercial buildings save energy by actively absorbing and releasing heat. PCMs help maintain comfortable building temperatures with the potential to reduce peak sensible cooling loads and annual energy consumption in California and western climate zones with enough variation in day and night time temperatures. Various materials have been considered for building applications, such as paraffin wax, biobased organic materials, and eutectic salts, to take advantage of the PCM latent heat capacities and high storage densities. Like conventional thermal mass, such as concrete or adobe, PCMs can store similar amounts of heat but with significantly less mass. PCMs maintain a near-constant temperature within the conditioned space while undergoing a phase change. Melting temperatures typically range from 70 to 80°F in building cooling applications. This temperature range is varied, based on application, to minimize the heating and cooling loads for the building while maintaining the comfort of its occupants. PCM research has been done for decades, but structural complications and flammability issues in prior PCM products have prevented adoption of the technology. Recently, some new commercial products mitigate these issues. Despite decades of research, the effect of PCM on energy consumption in buildings is not understood.