TY - GEN
T1 - Investigating thermal performance of PCM plates for free cooling applications in South Africa
AU - Madyira, Daniel M.
AU - Mukhodobwane, Ranwedzi P.
AU - Jen, Tien C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 ASME.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Free cooling involves using a thermal energy storage medium such as a phase change material (PCM) in order to store the ambient "cold" during the night when ambient air temperatures are lower compared to the indoor building temperatures and release this stored "cold" by using a heat transfer fluid (i.e. air) into the building during the day when higher ambient temperatures are experienced especially during the summer months. This paper assesses the free cooling potential in South Africa by using a set of Rubitherm RT25HC PCM plates. The performance of these PCM plates is assessed by benchmarking the ambient air cooled by the PCM plates during the day against the defined thermal comfort temperatures requirements. The influence of varying the air flow rate on the availability of thermal comfort temperatures at the PCM rig outlet is also studied. The results clearly show the potential of using PCM's as a means of cooling higher ambient air temperature which is experienced in hot summer months to within thermal comfort temperatures for human occupancy in a building.
AB - Free cooling involves using a thermal energy storage medium such as a phase change material (PCM) in order to store the ambient "cold" during the night when ambient air temperatures are lower compared to the indoor building temperatures and release this stored "cold" by using a heat transfer fluid (i.e. air) into the building during the day when higher ambient temperatures are experienced especially during the summer months. This paper assesses the free cooling potential in South Africa by using a set of Rubitherm RT25HC PCM plates. The performance of these PCM plates is assessed by benchmarking the ambient air cooled by the PCM plates during the day against the defined thermal comfort temperatures requirements. The influence of varying the air flow rate on the availability of thermal comfort temperatures at the PCM rig outlet is also studied. The results clearly show the potential of using PCM's as a means of cooling higher ambient air temperature which is experienced in hot summer months to within thermal comfort temperatures for human occupancy in a building.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85040943685&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1115/IMECE2017-71847
DO - 10.1115/IMECE2017-71847
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85040943685
T3 - ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Proceedings (IMECE)
BT - Energy
PB - American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
T2 - ASME 2017 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE 2017
Y2 - 3 November 2017 through 9 November 2017
ER -
