Study on the Performance of Trombe Wall in Hot Summer and Cold Winter Climate under Non-air Conditioning Condition

Changsha University of Science and Technology, 410114 Hunan Changsha, P. R. China

^* Corresponding author: xiaoqinsun@csust.edu.cn

Abstract

Trombe walls with phase change materials (PCMs) are well known as passive energy saving technologies, but the interaction between PCMs and Trombe walls was unclear. To explore the effect on indoor thermal environment of various operating strategies, eight cases were simulated under hot summer and cold winter climate. Integrated indoor discomfort duration (I_D), integrated discomfort degree-hour (I_DH), PCM liquid fraction, wall interior surface temperature and heat flux were used to assess the thermal performance throughout the year, compared with a traditional building. The results show that the effects of various operating strategies to indoors was closely related to ventilation, PCM type and position and massive wall. Ventilation was the most effective way to supply heating in winter and lower indoor temperature in summer; while its efficiency might be weakened if PCMs was installed, even though the overall indoor environment was improved. Without ventilation, massive wall with double PCM layers got better thermal performance than single layer, but the result would be contrary with ventilation. The optimal case for thermal performance is the Trombe wall with ventilation and single PCM layer, whose I_DH were 2653.8°C·h in summer and 10204.3°C·h in winter.