Abstract
AbstractThe construction industry in Morocco constitutes a substantial share, surpassing 33%, of the total energy consumption in the country, positioning it as one of the industries with the highest energy intensity. In spite of its considerable impact on energy consumption, the architectural design of buildings in Morocco frequently overlooks essential aspects such as the time lag and decrement factor linked to walls. This work aimed to examine the influence of incorporating phase change materials (PCMs) with three distinct melting temperatures on the dynamic thermal characteristics of bricks. The PCM is encapsulated in cylinders and integrated into the brick's solid matrix. The numerical simulations were conducted using COMSOL software, employing finite element and the apparent heat capacity methods. The results derived from the study indicate that integrating a 20% mass fraction of PCM with a melting point at 32 ℃ Results in a notable decrease of 34% in the heat flux swings. Additionally, there is a 2.5 h delay in the infiltration time of the external thermal temperature into the indoor space when comparing it to conventional bricks. Moreover, the application of PCM contributes to mitigating a significant portion of fluctuations in interior temperature. Consequently, incorporating PCMs into hollow clay bricks emerges as an effective approach for diminishing the energy demand associated with cooling buildings.
Publisher
Springer Nature Singapore