Innovative Methods to Integrate Phase Change Materials into Canadian Buildings

建筑行业占全球温室气体排放量的三分之一以上。在建筑物中使用储能是一种很有前途的解决方案，可以抵消一些供暖需求，并有助于促进可再生能源技术的广泛采用，加速电网的脱碳。目前存在许多利用太阳能和减少空间调节负荷的储热方案，但大多数都需要大型、昂贵的基础设施，无法轻易地改造到现有建筑中。为了克服这些挑战，相变材料（PCM）通过吸收或释放大量热量来改变其物理状态，可以集成到建筑物的围护结构或内墙中，并作为储热系统。将PCM集成到新的和现有的建筑组件中可以显著地减少空间加热和冷却需求，同时不占用宝贵的、可用的建筑空间。申请人研究项目的长期目标是通过战略性地使用和整合新的绝缘和储热材料来减少加拿大建筑的能源消耗。在这个更广泛的目标中，短期目标是开发和评估加拿大建筑中被动式和主动式储热的PCM解决方案，并解决其广泛使用的许多挑战和障碍。为了实现这一目标，将解决三个主要的研究问题：RQ1：如何改进建筑能量建模以确定表面温度分布，以及如何使用新方法对建筑集成PCM进行建模？RQ2：是否可以将不同熔点的多个PCM集成到单个建筑组件中，以满足加拿大的联合供暖和制冷负荷？RQ3：被动和主动PCM系统如何结合到一个单一的建筑集成蓄热系统中，以调节太阳能增益与空间供暖和制冷需求之间的不匹配？共有博士3人，硕士2人。本研究项目将培养4名本科生。初步研究表明，建筑的供暖和制冷负荷可能减少30%。将这种减排融入到建筑中，对于实现加拿大的排放目标和国际承诺将是非常宝贵的。PCM技术目前还不能在加拿大广泛实现，因为合适的复合PCM系统还没有达到技术准备水平，无法大规模实现其优势。该项目将提高复合PCM系统的技术准备水平，提供有效的集成、实验和仿真方法，以及突破性的新解决方案，使PCM的优势得以实现。

The building sector contributes over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The use of energy storage in buildings is a promising solution to offset some of the heating needs and can help facilitate a wider adoption of renewable energy technologies and accelerate the decarbonization of the grid. Many thermal storage options that function to harness solar energy and decrease space conditioning loads exist, but most require large, costly infrastructure that cannot easily be retrofitted into an existing building. To overcome these challenges, phase change materials (PCM), which change in their physical state by absorbing or releasing large amounts of heat, can be integrated into the building envelope or interior walls of a building and act as a thermal storage system. The integration of PCM into new and existing building components can significantly contribute to reducing space heating and cooling requirements, while not occupying valuable, usable building space. The long-term objective of the applicant's research program is to reduce the energy consumption of Canadian buildings through the strategic use and integration of new insulating and thermal storage materials. Within this broader goal, the short-term objective is to develop and evaluate PCM solutions for both passive and active thermal storage in Canadian buildings and address the many challenges and barriers to their widespread use. To achieve this, three main research questions will be addressed: RQ1: How can building energy modelling be improved to determine surface temperature profiles, and how can new methods be used to model building integrated PCM? RQ2: Can the use of multiple PCM with different melting points be integrated into single building components to meet Canada's combined heating and cooling loads? RQ3: How can passive and active PCM systems be combined into a single building integrated thermal storage system to regulate the mismatch between solar gains and space heating and cooling demands? A total of 3 Ph.D., 2 M.A.Sc. and 4 undergraduate students will be trained in this research program. Preliminary studies have shown a possible reduction of up to 30% in both the heating and cooling loads of the building. Integrating this reduction into buildings would be invaluable in meeting Canada's emissions targets and international commitments. PCM technology cannot be widely realized in Canada at present, as suitable composite PCM systems are not at a technology readiness level that allows their benefits to be realized on a large scale. This program will increase the technology readiness level of composite PCM systems to provide effective integration, experimental, and simulation methods, as well as ground-breaking new solutions that will allow the benefits of PCM to be reaped.