Thermal testing and numerical simulation of PCM wall integrated inside a test cell on a small scale and subjected to the thermal stresses

摘要

This work treats the heat transferring phenomena and the thermal behavior of a PCM wall that joined inside a test cell of the dimension (0.5, 0.5, 0.5 m(3)) with a new structure of wallboards enclosing PCM -27. A comparison of the test cell thermal behavior was achieved through a test cell without PCM wall. Therefore an experimental framework was installed in the laboratory of thermal processes in BorjCedria, Tunisia. The experimental study was carried out by measuring temperature through the PCM wall. The test cell indoor temperature was also evaluated to appraise the thermal inertia of the wall envelope. During the heating phase, the temperature inside PCM shelter appears constant about 28 degrees C. But it varied between 29 and40 degrees C inside the test room without PCM wall. Taking into account the different transferring of mechanisms (heat, material and momentum) inside the PCM wall, a numerical study has been developed. The validation of the model was performed by following the temperature to the highest and the lowest position of the PCM wall and the evolution of the melting front during the melting process. Then the model was exploited to follow the evolution of the melting front, the velocity fields, the isothermal and the current lines. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.