Dynamic thermal performance analysis of fiber insulations containing bio-based phase change materials (PCMs)

Experimental and theoretical analyses have been performed to determine dynamic thermal characteristics of fiber insulations containing microencapsulated phase change material (PCM). It was followed by a series of transient computer simulations to investigate the performance of a wood-framed wall assembly with PCM-enhanced fiber insulation in different climatic conditions. A novel lab-scale testing procedure with use of the heat flow meter apparatus (HFMA) was introduced in 2009 for the analysis of dynamic thermal characteristics of PCM-enhanced materials. Today, test data on these characteristics is necessary for whole-building simulations, energy analysis, and energy code work. The transient characteristics of PCM-enhanced products depend on the PCM content and a quality of the PCM carrier. In the past, the only existing readily-available method of thermal evaluation of PCMs utilized the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) methodology. Unfortunately, this method required small and relatively uniform test specimens. This requirement is unrealistic in the case of many PCM-enhanced building envelope products. Small specimens are not representative of PCM-based blends, since these materials are not homogeneous. In this paper, dynamic thermal properties of materials, in which phase change processes occur, are analyzed based on a recently-upgraded dynamic experimental procedure: using the conventional HFMA. In order to theoretically analyze performance of these materials, an integral formula for the total heat flow in finite time interval, across the surface of a wall containing the phase change material, was derived. In numerical analysis of the southern-oriented wall the Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) weather data was used for the summer hot period between June 30th and July 3rd. In these simulations the following three climatic locations were used: Warsaw, Poland, Marseille, France, and Cairo, Egypt. It was found that for internal temperature of 24 °C, peak-hour heat gains were reduced by 23–37% for Marseille and 21–25% for Cairo; similar effects were observed for Warsaw.

► Dynamic thermal analysis was performed on fiber insulation mixed with PCM.
► Heat-flow meter apparatus was used to measure transient heat flux data.
► A new notation for the energy performance of PCM-enhanced materials was introduced.
► Results of simulations are consistent with results of theoretical considerations.
► Significant time shifting and reduction of the heat flow rates were observed.