Volume 63

Utilizing PCM-Based Thermal Energy Storage System for Developing Sustainable HVAC Solution Sudhir Kumar Gupta, B. Premachandran, Dibakar Rakshit, K. Ravi Kumar, K. S. Reddy

Abstract

Buildings account for around 40% of the world’s primary energy consumption. The growing energy demand from the building sector highlights the critical need for sustainable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that can maintain occupant thermal comfort at a lower energy cost. This study focuses on utilizing a PCM-based thermal energy storage (TES) system for developing a sustainable HVAC solution. For this, the thermal performance of the shell-and-multitube TES system was evaluated experimentally during
HVAC operation. The TES achieved mean temperatures of 117-124°C and 55-67°C at the end of subsequent charging and discharging cycles, respectively. With the application of the TES system and proper water flow rate regulation, the heating capacity of the HVAC system can be varied between 4.12 kW and 2.76 kW, based on load requirement. The thermal comfort analysis of the TES coupled fan coil unit (TES-FCU) system showed that higher FCU water flow rates improve heat transfer and help in achieving indoor temperatures of up to 23.42°C, with 40.86% relative humidity. Out of the 5 operating cases tested, case 1 (PMV: -0.09, PPD: 5%) and case 2 (PMV: -0.39, PPD: 8%) complied with ASHRAE 55 thermal comfort standards for Delhi’s winter climate. The results demonstrated the importance of the TES system, FCU speed, and water flow rate for achieving thermal comfort and sustainable heating solutions for cold regions.

Keywords Phase change material, Thermal energy storage, Sustainable, Cold regions, HVAC