Numerical modeling of thermal performance of a building envelope incorporating solid-solid phase change material

This research focuses on the study of the thermal performance of a building envelope structure incorporating a patented solid-solid phase change material (S-S PCM), designated as PUX-1500-20, a cross-linked polyurethane. This S-S PCM is capable of storing and releasing thermal energy via phase transitions within the human comfort temperature range, facilitating the temporal and spatial transfer of solar energy for optimizing energy efficiency. The primary aim of this work is to study numerically the thermal behavior of the building envelope (hollow brick) filled with the PCMs. The numerical simulations use Matlab software based on the method of the heat equation. In comparison with the thermal behavior of the building envelopes (hollow brick) without PCMs, the results presented herein provide convincing evidence of the important thermal inertia of these structures incorporating the PCMs, revealing their significant potential in contributing to the reduction of energy consumption of building.