Abstract
The effect of using n-eicosane phase change material (PCM) in the natural air conditioning duct of a building on temperature uniformity is numerically studied. Three chambers saturated with PCM are put in the center of the duct in a linear pattern for this purpose. The air enters the duct at a constant velocity and temperature and exits after colliding with the PCM chambers. The quantity of air output temperature (T-Out) is evaluated by varying the temperature and air entry velocity at various periods. Therefore, the temperature contours in the PCM chamber are evaluated at different times. Commercial software is used to run one-dimensional and two-dimensional simulations. When the PCM is completely charged, the T-Out reaches the temperature at the channel entry. Due to the solidification of the whole PCM chamber during the discharge operation, the temperature at the exit matches the entrance temperature. The decrease in the inlet temperature (T-In) in discharge mode of PCM leads to the same result. As a result increments in the air velocity in both charging and discharge of the PCM processes reduce the time when the T-Out reaches the T-In of the duct. This procedure is described in further depth in the following introduction.
•Simulation of three chambers filled with phase change materials to heat a building.•The phase change material is n-eicosane and the finite volume method is used for simulation.•Increasing the air velocity in the duct in both charging and recharging processes reduces the time when the outlet temperature reaches the inlet temperature of the duct.•In the discharge process, as the entire PCM solidifies, the temperature at the output equals the temperature at the channel inlet.•During PCM charging causes the temperature at the channel output to equal the temperature at the channel input in less time.