Development of a composite laminated phase change material (PCM) for energy storage in buildings

In this paper experimental studies have been undertaken towards the development of a laminated composite aluminium/hexadecane PCM material based on previous analytical work. The study also covered the selection and testing of various types of adhesive materials and found PVA material as the most appropriate bonding material. For the purpose of comparison two sets of samples using pure hexadecane and the composite aluminium/hexadecane were developed and tested. The test results revealed faster thermal response by the aluminium/hexadecane sample regarding the rate of heat flux and also achieved about 40% and 15% heat transfer enhancements during the charging and discharging periods respectively. There was however about 5% less total cumulative thermal energy discharged at the end of the test which indicates that its effective thermal capacity was reduced by the presence of the aluminium particles. The study has shown that some of the scientific and technical barriers associated with the development of laminated composite PCM systems can be overcome but further investigations are needed to reduce the effects of the thermophysical properties of the adhesive which may have affected the overall thermal performance of the sample.