Characterization of bio-nano doped phase change material (bio-nano/PCM) for building energy management

ABSTRACT

The energy consumed by buildings to maintain thermal comfort has been significantly high in recent years. It is attributed to the increased cooling/heating loads of the buildings, and it has been considered the most challenging factor in achieving net-zero buildings. Phase changing materials (PCM) have been proposed as prospective thermal energy storage materials, and they can be deployed to maintain the thermal comfort of the building in a passive manner if they are integrated with the building components appropriately. In this research, an organic bio-nano doped phase change material (bio-nano/PCM) has been synthesized and characterized for its thermophysical characteristics to analyze its suitability for building thermal management. Paraffin wax has been chosen as the PCM, and an in-house synthesized eggshell nanoparticle (derived from bio-wastes) has been deployed as the thermal characteristics-enhancing medium of the PCM. The waste eggshells are mechanically milled into nano-sized particles, and then they are blended with the PCM in different mass proportions (.0%, .5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%) to obtain bio-nano/PCMs. Then, the thermophysical characteristics of the bio-nano/PCMs have been studied using different instruments to assess the effect of bio-nanoparticles on the thermal storage performance of the base PCM. The results confirmed the consistent distribution of the bio-nanoparticles within the PCM matrix at lower mass fractions and the significant stability of bio-nano/PCMs, both in terms of chemical and thermal aspects. Further, the results exposed that the amalgamation of 1.0% bio-nanoparticles in PCM has pointedly suppressed the supercooling of the PCM and greatly amended the thermal conductivity of PCM to 53.33% without much distressing its latent heat, even after 500 thermal cycles. However, the inclusion of bio-nanoparticles above a 1.0% mass fraction significantly reduced the thermal storage capability of the PCM.

KEYWORDS:

• Building thermal management
• biowaste
• eggshell nanoparticles
• nano-PCM
• thermal properties

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article.

Additional information

Funding

There is no fund received for this research work.

Notes on contributors

S.D. Anitha Selvasofia

Dr. S.D. Anitha Selvasofia is presently working as an Assistant Professor (Sl.Gr) in the Department of Civil Engineering, Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, Coimbatore, India. She did her research on the identification of accident-prone zones and minimizing the congestion of traffic flow using GIS and obtained a doctorate degree in 2019 from Anna University, Chennai. Her research interests include solving social issues, accident management systems, and drought management using geospatial tools.

S Deepa Shri

Dr. S Deepa Shri has completed her doctoral degree from the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a master’s degree in Structural Engineering and has been in teaching and research for more than 17 years. Her primary research interest is self-compact concrete, fibre reinforced concrete, etc. She is currently associated with Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore, as Professor of Civil Engineering.

P. Manoj Kumar

Dr. P. Manoj Kumar is recognized as ‘World Top 2% Scientists 2022 and 2023’ by Stanford University and Elsevier. He has 14 years of teaching experience and 6 years of research experience. His research interests include solar thermal conversion, thermal energy storage, and phase change materials. He has published more than 60 research papers in reputed, peer-reviewed international journals; published five book chapters; authored five books; and presented more than 100 papers at international and national conferences.

Prakash K B

Prakash K B is pursuing his doctorate degree from Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam. He acquired a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, and an M.E. in Thermal Engineering from the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore. His primary research interests are solar energy, PV/T systems, heat pump systems, phase change materials, refrigeration and air conditioning systems. His research contributions include 36 publications in international journals, as well as several publications in conference proceedings. He is currently associated with Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering.