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Thermal Comfort Evaluation in a Building with Phase Change Materials in Different Ecuadorian Climatic Zones

Abstract:

Nowadays, the building sector aims to improve the thermal comfort and to reduce the energy consumption implementing new alternative systems. For this purpose, a new phase change material (PCM) is being studied to analyze the performance of a building in three different climates of Ecuador by using a simulation tool. This work assesses the PCM performance through a virtual model in Design Builder, when this material is used as part of a building envelope. To improve the reliability of simulation results, the model is calibrated with experimental previous existing data of a monitoring room without occupancy. The PCM is located in the roof and walls of the virtual calibrated model. The prime matter of PCM is found in Ecuador and thermal and chemical characteristics were product of a previous study. On the other hand, this study assesses the thermal comfort by using the pbkp_redicted mean vote (PMV). The original model and the PCM model results are compared by the total time of thermal comfort during a year in three Ecuadorian cities. The main conclusions include that the use of a PCM in a building located in Quito increases the thermal comfort time. Since the PCM decreases, the air temperature fluctuation decreases throughout the year. However, the use of PCM in Zumbahua represents a disadvantage because the climate conditions do not allow energy to be stored by the PCM. In Guayaquil, the PCM performance could be improved by using air-conditioned systems, reaching both, the change phase temperatures and energy savings.