Building Energy Storage Panel Based on Paraffin/Expanded Perlite: Preparation and Thermal Performance Study

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thermal Engineering
• Sustainable Building Technologies

Background:

• Building energy efficiency is crucial for reducing environmental impact.
• Phase Change Materials (PCMs) offer a promising solution for thermal energy storage.
• Developing stable and effective PCM composites is essential for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and evaluate a novel building energy storage panel (BESP).
• To investigate the performance of phase change material particles (PCMP) within the BESP.
• To assess the potential of BESP for enhancing building energy efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PCMP via vacuum absorption of PCM into expanded perlite (EP) followed by surface film coating.
• Characterization of PCMP using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Evaluation of BESP thermal performance through dynamic thermal property testing.

Main Results:

• Surface film coating effectively prevented leakage of the composite PCM.
• Optimal mass fraction for paraffin and EP was determined as 52.5:47.5, yielding stable and durable PCMP.
• BESP exhibited low temperature variation, significant thermal lagging, and high heat storage capacity.

Conclusions:

• The developed PCMP and BESP demonstrate excellent thermal properties and reliability.
• The BESP shows significant potential for application in improving building energy efficiency.
• The fabrication method provides a viable approach for creating effective PCM-based energy storage solutions.