Energy reduction for cooling using PCM in 2-pipe chilled beam systems

A PSO-2013 project (345-010) have shown that a two-pipe chilled beam system with high temperature cooling can reduce the energy demand for cooling in office buildings by about 13 % in comparison to a traditional four-pipe system.

The purpose of this PSO-2018 project is to demonstrate that the energy demand for cooling can be further reduced using outdoor air cooling and thermal energy storage with PCM. Preliminary calculations have shown that by coating the pipes in the thermal energy storage with 11 mm of PCM the energy demand for cooling can be reduced by about 80 %.

A thermal energy storage (Cold Energy Battery) will be produced and the pipes will be coated with PCM. The storage will be produced by Lindab A/S being partner in the project. Two specific PCM's are candidates to be used: PureTemp18 from Entropy Solutions LLC and RT18HC from Rubitherm Technologies GmbH.

The thermal energy storage will be tested in an experimental setup under controlled conditions in the laboratory. The primary components in the setup will, in addition to the storage, comprise a circuit for circulation of water for simulating a two-pipe chilled beam system and a chamber for simulating cool outdoor air. The reduction of the cooling need in a building can be determined through simulations using Modelica and through measurements in the laboratory. The project will be completed as a three-year ph.d.-project.