Open Access

ARTICLE

Enhancing Hygrothermal Performance in Multi-Zone Constructions through Phase Change Material Integration

Abir Abboud¹, Zakaria Triki¹, Rachid Djeffal², Sidi Mohammed El Amine Bekkouche², Hichem Tahraoui^1,3,4, Abdeltif Amrane⁴, Aymen Amin Assadi⁵, Lotfi Khozami⁵, Jie Zhang^6,*

1 Laboratory of Biomaterials and Transport Phenomena, University of Medea, Medea, 26000, Algeria
2 Unité de Recherche Appliquée en Energies Renouvelables (URAER) Centre de Développement des Energies Renouvelables (CDER), Ghardaïa, 47133, Algeria
3 Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés Chimiques, Department of Process Engineering, University of Ferhat Abbas, Setif, 19000, Algeria
4 Université de Rennes, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR—UMR6226, Rennes, 35000, France
5 College of Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, 11432, Saudi Arabia
6 School of Engineering, Merz Court, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK

* Corresponding Author: Jie Zhang. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Heat and Mass Transfer in Thermal Energy Storage)

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer 2024, 22(3), 769-789. https://doi.org/10.32604/fhmt.2024.050330

Received 03 February 2024; Accepted 29 May 2024; Issue published 11 July 2024

Abstract

As buildings evolve to meet the challenges of energy efficiency and indoor comfort, phase change materials (PCM) emerge as a promising solution due to their ability to store and release latent heat. This paper explores the transformative impact of incorporating PCM on the hygrothermal dynamics of multi-zone constructions. The study focuses on analyzing heat transfer, particularly through thermal conduction, in a wall containing PCM. A novel approach was proposed, wherein the studied system (sensitive balance) interacts directly with a latent balance to realistically define the behavior of specific humidity and mass flow rates. In addition, a numerical model implemented in MATLAB software has been developed to investigate the effect of integrating PCM on the hygrothermal balances inside the building. The obtained results indicate a consistent response in internal temperatures, specific humidity, and mass flow rates, with temperature differences ranging from 5°C to 13°C and a maximum phase shift of 13 h. In addition, the findings provided valuable insights into optimizing the design and performance of multi-zone constructions, offering a sustainable pathway for enhancing building resilience and occupant well-being.

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