Multiscale Finite Element Modeling of the Effect of Macro-Encapsulated Phase-Change Materials on the Thermal Performance of Hydronic Floor Heating Systems
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Experimental Setup
2.2. FE Modeling
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Model Validation
3.2. Effect of PCM Volume Fraction
3.3. Effect of Shell Thermal Conductivity
3.4. Effect of Macro Capsule Shape
3.5. Effect of Water Temperature
4. Conclusions
- The implemented multiscale FE model effectively predicted the thermal performance of the hydronic radiant floor heating system under both steady-state and dynamic conditions.
- Macro-encapsulated PCMs reduce heat flow to the surface, lower the surface temperature during operation, and retain heat when the heating water is turned off. For example, the surface temperature was reduced by 7 °C in the heating floor without PCMs and less than 3 °C in the heating floor integrated with a PCM content of 0.256.
- Maximizing the PCM content above the heating pipe and decreasing it as the distance from the heating pipe increases is recommended.
- Selecting a PCM with an appropriate melting point is crucial early in the design stage, taking into account the expected heating water and ambient temperatures to prevent sudden temperature drops after the heating water is turned off.
- The impact of the macro-encapsulated PCM shape and shell thermal conductivity is minimal. For instance, increasing the thermal conductivity of the shell of the PCM microcapsule fifty times from 0.3 to 15 W m−1 K−1 resulted in an increase in surface temperature by 1.2 °C.
- Two major limitations of this study could be addressed in future research. First, the study did not consider the effect of the air gap between the layers of the hydronic heating floor. Second, it did not examine different heating pipe layout patterns.
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Material | Density | Specific Heat | Thermal Conductivity | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kg m−3 | J kg−1 K−1 | W m−1 K−1 | ||
Concrete | 2300 | 900 | 1.7 | [28] |
Wood floor | 500 | 1500 | 0.14 | [28] |
Water pipe | 1200 | 1400 | 0.24 | [30] |
Insulation | 30 | 1440 | 0.04 | [28] |
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) | 1380 | 1255 | 0.3 | [31] |
PCM | 1260 | 1460 (Solid) | 1.09 (Solid) | [19] |
1700 (Liquid) | 0.52 (Liquid) |
Volume Fractions | Specific Heat | Density | Latent Heat | Concrete/PCM Thermal Conductivity (W m−1 K−1) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(J kg−1 K−1) | (Kg m−3) | (J kg−1) | ||||||
Concrete | PCM | Shell | Solid | Liquid | Solid | Liquid | ||
0.5 | 0.256 | 0.244 | 1128.76 | 1190.2 | 1809.28 | 56,320.07 | 1.066 | 0.945 |
0.6 | 0.2048 | 0.1952 | 1083.01 | 1132.16 | 1907.42 | 45,056.05 | 1.185 | 1.084 |
0.7 | 0.1536 | 0.1464 | 1037.26 | 1074.12 | 2005.57 | 33,792.04 | 1.305 | 1.227 |
0.8 | 0.1024 | 0.0976 | 991.5 | 1016.08 | 2103.71 | 22,528.03 | 1.43 | 1.375 |
0.9 | 0.0512 | 0.0488 | 945.75 | 958.04 | 2201.86 | 11,264.01 | 1.59 | 1.56 |
0.95 | 0.0256 | 0.0244 | 922.88 | 929.02 | 2250.93 | 5632.01 | 1.63 | 1.615 |
Thermal Conductivity (W m−1 K−1) | ||
---|---|---|
Shell | Concrete/PCM | |
Solid | Liquid | |
0.3 | 1.305 | 1.227 |
1 | 1.485 | 1.368 |
3 | 1.762 | 1.651 |
6 | 2.054 | 1.968 |
9 | 2.275 | 2.207 |
12 | 2.45 | 2.394 |
15 | 2.591 | 2.546 |
Shape | Concrete/PCM Thermal Conductivity (W m−1 K−1) | |
---|---|---|
Solid | Liquid | |
Sphere | 1.066 | 0.945 |
Cube | 1.077 | 0.951 |
Cube (aspect ratio = 0.33) | 1.067 (X&Z) | 0.945 (X&Z) |
1.106 (Y) | 0.967 (Y) |
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Alghamdi, A.A. Multiscale Finite Element Modeling of the Effect of Macro-Encapsulated Phase-Change Materials on the Thermal Performance of Hydronic Floor Heating Systems. Buildings 2024, 14, 644. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030644
Alghamdi AA. Multiscale Finite Element Modeling of the Effect of Macro-Encapsulated Phase-Change Materials on the Thermal Performance of Hydronic Floor Heating Systems. Buildings. 2024; 14(3):644. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030644
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlghamdi, Abdulrahman A. 2024. "Multiscale Finite Element Modeling of the Effect of Macro-Encapsulated Phase-Change Materials on the Thermal Performance of Hydronic Floor Heating Systems" Buildings 14, no. 3: 644. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030644