Thermal behavior of a hybrid PCM/plaster: A numerical and experimental investigation

Abstract The Phase Change Material (PCM) integrated in building envelope can decrease the energy requirement for maintaining thermal comfort by enhancing the thermal energy storage of the wall and the roof. This study deals with numerical and experimental study of the thermal behavior of new plaster composite containing a microencapsulated PCM that can be embedded as a component in passive solar walls. Experimental measurement was performed by using a transient guarded hot plates method based on heat flux and temperature measurements. As for numerical simulation, it is based on the enthalpy method. Such a simulation was performed using a finite volume method (FVM). Then, a comparison between the two approaches is performed. It is found that our numerical findings match the experimental results. Interestingly, the results demonstrate the suitability of incorporating microencapsulated PCM into plaster. Based on the obtained results, it may be stated that the thermal storage capacity of the plaster is greatly enhanced.