Cold Storage with Phase Change Material for Building Ventilation

This paper presents an experimental and numerical analysis of building cooling using night-time coldaccumulation in phase change material (PCM), otherwise known as the free-cooling or passive-cooling principle. The phase change materials were used in ceilings and floors. The free-cooling principle is explained and some of the types of PCMs suitable for summer cooling are listed. An experiment was conducted using paraffin with a melting point of 22 C as the PCM to store cold during the night and to cool hot air during the daytime in summer. Air temperatures and heat fluxes, as a function of time and dimensionless cold discharging values, are presented for different air velocities. Experimental analysis over a one week measuring period, under real conditions, is presented in order to show how cold storage functions.