Numerical Investigation of the Thermal Behavior of a System with a Partition Wall Incorporating a Phase Change Material

Abstract

The work deals with the thermal behavior of a conventional partition wall incorporating a phase change material (PCM). The wall separates two environments with different thermal properties. The first one is conditioned, while the adjacent space is characterized by a temperature that changes sinusoidally in time. The effect of the PCM is assessed through a comparative analysis of the cases with and without PCM. The performances are evaluated in terms of dimensionless energy stored within the wall, comfort temperature and variations of these quantities as a function of the amount of PCM and its emplacement.