TY - GEN
T1 - How phase change materials affect thermal performance
T2 - Hollow bricks
AU - Lai, Chi-ming
AU - Chiang, Che Ming
PY - 2006/3/1
Y1 - 2006/3/1
N2 - The enhancement of rooftop thermal-insulation capability is a key issue in energy conservation in hot and humid climates, where flat roofs receive the greatest solar heat gain. During the process of melting or solidification, a phase change material (PCM) can effectively release or store a great amount of latent heat. As a result, PCM has often been applied for the purpose of environmental control. Experiments analysed the effects on thermal characteristics of adding PCM to conventional hollow thermal-insulation bricks. Two identical test models with untreated and PCM-treated bricks, respectively, were located nearby in field. They were exposed to solar radiation at the same time on typically clear summer days. PCM-treated bricks had a better daytime thermal insulation effect than ordinary hollow bricks. When the maximum outdoor temperature was 35.5°C, the maximum underside temperature of PCM-treated bricks was 31.7°C, which was 4.9°C lower than that of the untreated bricks. In addition, PCM-treated bricks can provide more effective indoor heat preservation at night when temperatures fall outdoors.
AB - The enhancement of rooftop thermal-insulation capability is a key issue in energy conservation in hot and humid climates, where flat roofs receive the greatest solar heat gain. During the process of melting or solidification, a phase change material (PCM) can effectively release or store a great amount of latent heat. As a result, PCM has often been applied for the purpose of environmental control. Experiments analysed the effects on thermal characteristics of adding PCM to conventional hollow thermal-insulation bricks. Two identical test models with untreated and PCM-treated bricks, respectively, were located nearby in field. They were exposed to solar radiation at the same time on typically clear summer days. PCM-treated bricks had a better daytime thermal insulation effect than ordinary hollow bricks. When the maximum outdoor temperature was 35.5°C, the maximum underside temperature of PCM-treated bricks was 31.7°C, which was 4.9°C lower than that of the untreated bricks. In addition, PCM-treated bricks can provide more effective indoor heat preservation at night when temperatures fall outdoors.
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U2 - 10.1080/09613210500493197
DO - 10.1080/09613210500493197
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33644539921
VL - 34
SP - 118
EP - 130
JO - Building Research and Information
JF - Building Research and Information
SN - 0961-3218
ER -