A Quasi-Steady-State Simplified Model for Pipe-encapsulated PCM

Abstract The Pipe-encapsulated PCM (PEPCM) is a new type of thermal storage and insulation structure used in the building envelopes to improve the performance of buildings. CFD models are often used to investigate the thermal characteristics of the PEPCM. However, the CFD model is usually complicated and computationally intensive. In this paper, a fast and reliable quasi-steady-state simplified model of PEPCM is developed to improve the effectiveness while maintaining the accuracy. A numerical model of the PEPCM is built to validate the developed model. Thermal characteristics in the phase transition process obtained from the simplified model and the CFD model are compared. Results show that the mean temperature difference of the working fluid is less than 0.5 °C and the mean difference of the heat fluxes through the PEPCM is less than 10% while the computation time can be significantly reduced. It proves that the quasi-steady-state simplified model is highly efficient and reliable.