Investigating the use of nano-enhanced phase change material in floor heating system: A numerical approach

Abstract

By increasing the environmental concerns and the scarcity of fossil fuel resources, it is imperative to explore new ways for curbing energy consumption. Among the pivotal strategies aimed at mitigating thermal energy consumption, the utilization of phase change materials (PCMs) stands out prominently. In this study, we delve into the intricacies of floor heating systems and study the effects of incorporating nano-enhanced PCM (NEPCM) on the performance of the system. The work investigates the dynamic behavior of the floor heating system and the temporal characteristics with and without implementing PCM. Al₂O₃, ZnO and CuO are the employed nanoparticles (NPs) whose effect is examined at volume percentages of 1 % and 3 %. The results show that the NP employment reduced the melting start time by 23 % for all employed NP types; also, the time of complete melted state, increased approximately by 369.11 min, followed by a discharge period increment of 454.55 min. By increasing the NP concentration from 1 to 3 %, there was a noticeable reduction for the time of the complete melting; also, the thermal response time of the floor heating decreased by 2 % which was attributed to the elevated thermal conductivity of the PCM.