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Development of Na2SO410H2O Salt Hydrate PCMs for Thermal Energy Storage in Building Systems: A Scale-Up Approach

delete2025-11-11
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Amarendra Uttam *
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Bhupendra Kumar
DOI:10.1002/slct.202504616delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
The energy consumption in buildings, particularly for space heating and cooling, has increased significantly in recent years. Thermal energy storage has emerged as a promising solution for improving energy efficiency, with inorganic phase change materials (PCMs), such as salt hydrates, offering superior thermal conductivity and energy storage density compared to organic PCMs. However, their practical applications are hindered by challenges related to supercooling, phase segregation, and stability. This study presents the synthesis of a polyurethane-phase change materials (PU-PCM) composite incorporating Na2SO4 aqueous solution, polyurethane foam, and LAPONITE (R) Gel as a binding material. A 600 mL physical model was developed to investigate the cooling and heating cycles using this composite. The experimental data were then used to construct and validate a computational model in COMSOL 5.0 Multiphysics. Following validation, a scale-up model (2 L) was developed, and the optimal PU-PCM composite thickness was determined through computational simulations. DSC result of PU-PCM composite shows melting temperature is about 34 degrees C, with melting enthalpy of 233.4 J/g and two freezing peaks were at 10 and -8 degrees C with freezing enthalpy of 52 J/g and 40 J/g, respectively. The results demonstrated that a 10 mm PU-PCM layer maintained the desired temperature difference with minimal deviation (0.5 degrees C error). The study provides a comprehensive discussion on the experimental setup, crystallization process, computational modelling, and scale-up analysis. Moreover, the model enables practical evaluation of PU-PCM performance within building wall assemblies, providing insights into energy efficiency, thermal behavior, and environmental impact for sustainable building applications.
Keywords:
Phase change materials
PU Foam
Salt hydrates
Sodium sulphate
Thermal energy storage

Journal

ChemistrySelect cover
ChemistrySelect
IF:
2
Papers:
2.7K
Citations:
2.8W

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