Phase change materials in passive solutions for maintaining thermal comfort in buildings
Artur Wirowski¹ (orcid id: 0000-0001-5251-321X),
Julia Wiśniewska¹* (orcid id: 0009-0003-2869-2715),
Paulina Kaszubska¹ (orcid id: 0009-0007-3352-7377)
¹ The Lodz University of Technology, Poland
Article(PDF)
Abstract:
Accelerating climate change and the growing demand for energy-efficient
solutions are
driving research into innovative passive technologies for buildings. This study investigates the
integration of Phase Change Materials (PCM) with an underfloor heating system in ground
contact floors to enhance thermal performance and thermal comfort. Numerical simulations
carried out in the ANSYS Transient Thermal module were used to develop and verify 3D models
incorporating Rubitherm RT21 PCM (latent heat 165 kJ/kg, melting range 19 °C - 24 °C). An analysis
of 27 different heating schedules was performed over 96-hour simulation periods. The results show
that PCM integration reduces indoor air temperature amplitude by approximately 2 °C - 3 °C
compared to the reference model without PCM. The PCM layer effectively absorbs heat during
peak heating periods and releases it during cooling phases, thereby creating more stable indoor
temperatures. The findings indicate that strategic scheduling of underfloor heating, combined with
an appropriately designed PCM layer, is crucial for improving thermal stability without increasing
energy consumption and provide practical guidance for the design of future hybrid passive-active
systems in buildings, particularly in heating-dominated climates.
Keywords: phase change materials, PCM, thermal comfort, ground-contact floor, floor heating systems
Politechnika Częstochowska uczelnią dostępną.
