Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563

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Journal of Building Engineering

journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jobe

A review on thermal energy storage using phase change materials in passive

building applications
Sahar Ben Romdhane a, *, Amani Amamou b, Rim Ben Khalifa b, Nejla Mahjoub Saïd c, d,
Zohir Younsi e, Abdelmajid Jemni a
a
LESTE, National Engineering School of Monastir, 5000 Monastir, University of Monastir, Tunisia
b
LGM, National Engineering School of Monastir, 5000 Monastir, University of Monastir, Tunisia
c
Department of Physics, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
d
LGM, Preparatory Institute for Engineering Studies, University of Monastir, Tunisia
e
FUPL, Hautes Etudes d’Ingénieur (HEI), LGCgE (EA 4515), F-59000, Lille, France

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Nowadays the building sector is considered to be the largest consumer of energy. Thus, new changes must be
Thermal energy storage systems done in order to reduce and optimize the energy demand in buildings. Thermal energy storage systems, using
Phase change materials phase change materials (PCMs) are gaining increasing attention due to its important role in achieving energy
Passive buildings
conservation in buildings. Three aspects have been presented in this review article: the PCMs, their encapsulation
Energy efficiency
methods and their passive applications in buildings. The purpose of this paper is to offer an overview of previous
works and recent studies of the integration of different PCMs into passive buildings, more specifically in building
materials, walls, wallboards, roofs and floors. An up-to-date database of research articles was presented and their
results regarding the implementation of PCMs in buildings and its impact on the energy conservation and thermal
comfort were analyzed. It has been found that with the help of PCMs, the energy efficiency of buildings was
improved, energy consumption cost was minimized, the heat was stored and the thermal comfort requirements
were assured. In addition, PCMs can provide key solutions to energy shortages, carbon emissions and their
serious threat to the environment. Based on the findings, future recommendations were proposed to work on the
areas of research for further improvements.

1. Introduction recovery of solar thermal energy, reducing energy consumption and

The increasing global demand for energy, the depletion of fossil
energy resources and the climate change that has taken place in recent
decades are undeniable realities. In this energy context, the imple­
mentation of concrete measures in favor of greater energy sobriety in
our societies becomes urgent. In fact, residential sector occupies a
prominent place. Improving building insulation and using renewable
energies are indeed becoming privileged fields of action for the reduc­
tion of energy consumption and the search for better energy efficiency.
Therefore, energy storage is considered to be one of the most important
ways to achieve these goals at the time of low demand, its low cost and
its recovery during peak consumption. In order to save energy, different
mechanisms have been used for cooling and heating applications [1]. In
particular, Thermal Energy Storage (TES) which has been exploited in
various applications and forms due to its numerous benefits in the
assuring environmental profits.
Three methods used for TES: Sensible Heat Storage (SHS), Latent
Heat Storage (LHS) and Thermochemical Heat Storage (TCHS). The
most commonly used methods in buildings are SHS and LHS. SHS is a
method which enables energy to be stored by simply increasing the
temperature of a material. The energy is then accumulated in the form of
sensible heat. However, in order to store an appreciable amount of en­
ergy, this method must involve high temperatures. This is due to the fact
that the specific heat of most materials is relatively low [2]. Yet, LHS
uses another way to store heat energy by using Phase Change Materials
(PCMs), which is considered to be the most efficient technique to
improve energy performances of the building envelope while increasing
the thermal inertia [3]. The energy is then stored in the form of latent
heat thanks to the fusion of these materials. Later, it is restored to the
environment as a result of their solidification [4]. PCMs applications can

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: br.sahaar@gmail.com (S. Ben Romdhane).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.101563
Received 16 March 2020; Received in revised form 1 June 2020; Accepted 4 June 2020
Available online 25 July 2020
2352-7102/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
S. Ben Romdhane et al. Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563

be considered a powerful tool in designing net zero energy buildings [5].

They are able to absorb, store and even release a large amounts of energy
as latent heat [6]. This energy can be used in various applications, it all
depends on the demand, whether in support of air-conditioning or
free-cooling [7]. With LHS applications, numerous investigations on the
performance of PCMs have been carried out. Sandra et al. [8] summa­
rizes the investigation of PCMs and energy efficiency of buildings. Khan
et al. [9] also presents an investigation of heat transfer of a building wall
in the presence of PCM in order to study the role of PCM on the interior
thermal comfort of the building and its effect on the rate of heat transfer
in a building wall.
Besides, number of ways to integrate PCMs into the building enve­
lope are possible: The active technology and the passive one [10]. The
active technology involves a mechanical system which helps to charge
or discharge energy in the PCM. While in the passive technology, the
PCM is simply subjected to temperature fluctuations in its environment.
In order to have a good efficiency of the PCMs, many factors are involved
such as: the type, its melting temperature range, amount of PCMs used,
its thermo-physical properties, outdoor climatic conditions, the encap­
sulation method and location of PCMs used in the building and orien­
tation, etc [11]. An important number of numerical and experimental
studies have been conducted to show that PCMs can remarkably
improve the building energy performance [12]. This research topic has
become relevant in recent years and other advances in PCMs or sup­ Fig. 1. Types of solar thermal energy storage (TES) [14].
porting materials have been reported recently: Graphite foams was
proved to be a promising material with low cost, good performances and
high recovery that can be used as a phase change material carrier [13]. Table 1
The main objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive Comparison of TES systems [16].
analysis of TES technologies and its principles together with the state of TES System Capacity Power Efficiency Storage Cost
art of PCMs and the different methods of its encapsulation in passive [kWh/t] [MW] [%] Time [£/kWh]
buildings applications. At the end, a thorough description and results Sensible (hot 10–50 0.001–10 50–90 Days/ 0.1–10
obtained by both experimental and numerical simulations carried out by water) months
researchers involving the integration of PCMs in the building compo­ Phase change 50–150 0.001–1 75–90 Hours/ 10–50
material (PCM) months
nents are presented. Efforts to give an update on the previous works Chemical 120–250 0.01–1 75–100 Hours/ 8–100
have been put forward in order to help selecting reliable PCMs and the reactions days
best enhancement method that should be used to satisfy the building
requirement for cooling or heating. Some future recommendations were
proposed as well. the storage medium, the temperature change and the mass of the storage
material.
2. Classification and characteristics of storage systems If a solid or liquid body of a mass m and of specific heat capacity c(T)
is heated at constant pressure from an initial temperature T1 to a final
Energy storage is a technology that stocks thermal energy by heating temperature T2, it’s possible to store a quantity of energy. The following
or cooling a storage medium so that the stored energy can be used later. relation translates this quantity of heat stored [17]:
Among the abundant renewable energies that can be stored: solar en­ ∫T2
ergy. The use of solar energy regulates the energy production and con­ Q= m × c(T) × dT (1)
sumption. The main types of thermal energy storage of solar energy are
T1
illustrated in Fig. 1 [14].
The capacity, the speed of the charge and discharge of the stored In the case where the specific heat is considered to be constant in the
energy, the efficiency, the storage period, the charge and discharge time temperature range then c(T) = cte = c. The relation is written in the
and the cost are some important characteristics to describe the system following form:
[15]. Common parameters of TES systems are shown in Table 1 [16].
Q = m × c(T) × (T2 − T1 ) (2)
The choice of the storage mode depends not only on capacity, power,
efficiency and storage period, but also on high-energy storage density Where Q is the quantity of heat stored in[J], m is the mass of the body
and high power capacity for charging and discharging. There are mainly in[kg], c is the specific heat in[J /kg.K],T1 andT2 are the initial and final
three methods for thermal energy storage: Sensible heat, latent heat and temperatures of the body in[K].
thermo-chemical heat storage. The amount of energy stored is proportional to the temperature
difference. There are therefore two cases:
2.1. Sensible heat storage
• If T2 > T1: Storage of heat.
Sensible Heat Storage (SHS) devices store thermal energy by heating • If T2 < T1: Cold storage.
or cooling the temperature of the storage material through heat transfer.
SHS devices take advantage of the heat capacity and the material tem­ In sensible heat storage, a solid or a liquid material can be used as a
perature rise compared to the medium temperature. This mode allows storage medium. The properties of some substances used as sensitive
repetition of the storage and recovery cycles of the accumulated heat heat storage materials [18] are shown in Table 2. In solar heating sys­
without any problem. However, this requires a large volume of the tems, water is the best medium for heat storage as it is widely available,
storage medium [14]. The amount of heat depends on heat capacity of

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S. Ben Romdhane et al. Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563

Table 2
Thermo-physical properties of some materials used for energy storage by sen­
sible heat [18].
Medium Fluid Type Temperature Density Specific heat
Range [◦ C] [kg/m3] [J/kg.K]

Sand – 20 1555 800

Rock – 20 2560 879
Brick – 20 1600 840
Concrete – 20 2240 880
Granite – 20 2640 820
Aluminum – 20 2707 896
Cast iron – 20 7900 837
Water – 0–100 1000 4190
Calorie Oil 12–260 867 2200
HT43
Engine oil Oil ≤160 888 1880
Ethanol Organic ≤78 790 2400
liquid
Propane Organic ≤97 800 2500
liquid
Butane Organic ≤118 809 2400
liquid
Isotunaol Organic ≤100 808 3000 Fig. 2. Change of state in a temperature-enthalpy diagram [4].
liquid
Isopentanol Organic ≤148 831 2200 • Thanks to its low mass, no problem of seasonal overheating is
liquid
Octane Organic ≤126 704 2400
occurred.
liquid
2.3. Thermochemical energy storage

inexpensive, non-toxic, non-combustible, with high specific heat and
density [19]. Fernandez et al. [20] used a bar chart that contains a
certain property plotted for all the materials families in order to compare
materials for selection.
2.2. Latent heat storage
In Thermochemical Energy Storage (TCHS) method, heat is stored as
a reaction heat of a reversible thermochemical process [24]. It has a
higher storage density than other types of TES, reducing the mass and
space requirements for the storage. Fig. 3 illustrates the three main
processes in a thermochemical TES cycle which undergo charging,
storing and discharging processes.

Latent heat is the amount of energy that takes a body from one state 3. Phase change materials (PCMs)
to another by releasing or absorbing a large amount of heat. Latent Heat
Storage (LHS) takes place at a constant temperature which corresponds 3.1. Selection criteria for PCMs
to the phase change or physical state change temperature [21]. The heat
storage capacity of LHS using PCMs is described in the following Phase Change Materials allow energy to be stored and destocked
equation [17]: according to heating and/or cooling needs via temperature variation in
∫Tm ∫Tf controlled conditions. When the temperature rises, PCM changes its
Q= mcp dT + mam Δhm + mcp dT (3) state from solid to liquid while absorbing the heat in an endothermic
Ti Tm

Where Qis the storage capacity in [J], m is the mass of the body in [kg], cp
is the mass heat of the body in [kJ /kg.K], am is the melted fraction, Δhm is
its latent heat of fusion in [kJ /kg],T is the temperature of the body in[K].
By varying the temperature and/or the pressure of the medium, the
material changes from one state to another. The most existing change of
state is the change of solid-liquid phase. The storage of energy through
latent heat form is interesting owing to small volume and temperature
variation [22]. LHS compared to SHS, offers higher density of energy
storage with zero temperature changes. Some problems usually arise due
to the low density change, the thermal conductivity, sub cooling of
phase change materials, stability of properties under extended cycling
and sometimes phase segregation [19].
PCMs stores energy in the form of sensible heat then when the
outside temperature reaches the melting temperature (phase change
temperature), the material changes state (Fig. 2).
The main advantages of LHS are listed below [23]:

• Materials used in building with temperature range between 20 and

30 ◦ C can actually store 5 to 14 times more heat than SHS materials
[14].
• An almost constant phase change temperature.

Fig. 3. Main process of a thermochemical TES [24].

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S. Ben Romdhane et al. Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563

process. As the temperature drops, PCMs then release heat in an Table 3

exothermic process and return to its solid phase [25]. PCMs change their Different requirements of PCM [27,28].
state according to their melting temperature [26] (Fig. 4). However, Thermo-physical Kinetic Chemical Economic and
several criteria of PCMs, summarized in Table 3 [27,28], should be taken Requirements Requirements Requirements environmental
into consideration to be effectively used for storage medium. requirements

- Appropriate - High nucleation - Chemical - Reasonable

3.2. Classification of PCMs melting rate in order to stability of the price and cost
temperature in avoid super PCM. effective.
the required cooling of the - Low volume - Availability.
Abhat [29] presented a review on low temperature LHS systems operating liquid phase. expansion - Non-polluting.
where he detailed the classification of the substances used for the stor­ temperature - High rate of - Low/no super- - Low
age of thermal energy (Fig. 5). The solid/liquid case is classified into range. crystallization to cooling during environmental
three categories: Organic, inorganic and eutectic [17]. Several authors - High latent satisfy demands freezing. impact.
heat per of heat recovery - Non-corrosive. - Good
have studied the different types of PCMs [14,30–34].
volume unit. from the storage - Nonflammable. recyclability.
- Large specific system. - Non-toxic. - Low embodied
3.2.1. Organic PCMs heat capacity. - Non-explosive. energy.
Organic PCMs have a temperature range that varies between 0 and - High thermal - Stable after a - Facility of
150 ◦ C [35]. The most used are mainly based on paraffin, fatty acid and conductivity. number of separation from
- High density. repeated other materials.
sugar alcohols. - Cycling melting/
stability. freezing cycles.
3.2.1.1. Paraffins. Paraffins are a family of saturated hydrocarbons - Small vapor - Has a proper
with the crude formula Cn H2n+2 . Since the latent heat depends on the pressure. cycling stability.
- Small volume
molar mass and the phase change temperatures, they are the most used changes.
due to their low temperature varying from − 10 to 100 ◦ C. The n-Hex­ - No
adecane (Tmelting = 18 − 20∘ C), the n-Nonacozane (Tmelting = 63.4∘ C)and segregation.
the n-Triacontane (Tmelting = 65.4∘ C)[36] are some examples of paraffins
with their melting temperature.
3.2.2. Inorganic PCMs
Inorganic PCMs have a melting temperature range between − 100 ◦ C
3.2.1.2. Fatty acids. Fatty acids have almost the same thermo-physical and +1000 ◦ C. They are mostly used in high-temperature solar appli­
properties as paraffins whereas they are distinguished by their chemi­ cations. However, their maintenance is considered a big challenge [44].
cal formula CH3 (CH2 )2n COOH[17]. The use of fatty acid as PCMs can They are classified as salt hydrates and metallic PCMs.
cover a temperature range from 40 to 150 ◦ C depending on the length of
the carbon chain. Table 4 [37–42] recapitulates the most studied
3.2.2.1. Salt hydrates. Salt hydrates contain water so their general for­
non-paraffins: stearic acid, lauric acid, palmitic acid and myristic acid
mula is AB.nH2 O[31]. During charging, dehydration of the salt occurs.
[43]. The palmitic acid has a higher latent heat than myristic acid and
The product that appears is salt hydrate with fewer water molecules
both are for long-term solar thermal applications as Sari and Kaygusuz
according to the following formula [36]:
[37] showed.
AB.nH2 O → AB.mH2 O + (n − m)H2 O (4)

Fig. 4. Principle of phase change materials [26].

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S. Ben Romdhane et al. Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563

its low cost, Mn(NO3 )2 .6H2 O(Tmelting = 25.3∘ C)for air conditioning ap­
plications and Al2 (SO4 )2 .18H2 Oused with additives for industrial ap­
plications around 100 ◦ C. There is also bischofite which contains 95%
mass of MgCl2 .6H2 Oand 5% mass of KMgCl3 .6H2 O[36].

3.2.2.2. Metallic. Includes low melting metals and metal eutectics.

They are barely used in heat storage applications due to their low
melting enthalpy per unit weight despite having high melting enthalpy
per unit volume and high thermal conductivity [45].

3.2.3. Eutectics
Eutectics PCMs are generally formed by an assembly of several pure
PCMs. They are composed of organic-organic, organic-inorganic and
inorganic-inorganic mixtures [30]. They have significant potential for
thermal energy storage applications. Some eutectics are used in cooling
and in passive solar energy storage systems [27]. Table 5 provides a list
of some eutectics used for thermal storage applications [2].

3.3. Comparison of PCMs

The choice of PCMs can be made according to their advantages and

Fig. 5. Classification of TES [29].
disadvantages as illustrated in Table 6 [14,30–34] and also according to
their melting point and their latent heat. Fig. 6 presents the relationship
between those two of various PCMs [52]. It shows that the organic, salt
hydrate, eutectic and solid-solid PCMs have relatively lower melting
temperatures compared to inorganic and metallic PCMs. Nevertheless,
metallic PCMs have in general the lowest latent energy storage capacity.
Different PCMs are plotted in Fig. 7 according to their melting temper­
ature and their cost [53].

3.4. Methods to encapsulate PCMs

Table 4
Properties of most studied non-paraffin [43]. Several techniques exist to encapsulate PCMs in the building enve­
PCM Melting point Latent heat Thermal References lope (Fig. 8): direct incorporation, immersion, encapsulation and sta­
[◦ C] [J/g] cycles bilization [54]. The most commonly used technique is the encapsulation
Stearic 65.2 209.9 450 Hasan and Sayigh technique in which two methods are used: Micro-encapsulation and
acid [38] macro-encapsulation. Certainly their different sizes and shapes can
62.59 154.63 300 Sharma et al. [39] affect the incorporation of the PCMs into the material or the construc­
54.7 159.3 1200 Sari [40]
tion [25]. That’s why the container should withstand the expansion of
53.8 174.6 910 Sari and Kaygusuz
[37] the volume change in the phase change process [55]. Thus, methods like
63 155 1500 Sharma et al. [41] direct incorporation and immersion of PCMs in building materials are
Lauric acid 43.5 169.3 120 Abhat and not well considered for long-term applications [34].
Malatidis [42]
42.46 176.6 1200 Sari [40]
42.6 211.6 910 Sari and Kaygusuz
3.4.1. Micro-encapsulation
[37] Micro-encapsulation is a method where PCMs are confined in small
Palmitic 61.2 196.1 120 Abhat and shells (diameter from 1 to 1000μm) taking different forms. These cap­
acid Malatidis [42] sules have many useful properties as the ability of getting larger surface
57.8 201.2 450 Hasan and Sayigh
area to volume ratio and the adaptation to thermal expansion/
[38]
61.31 197.9 1200 Sari [40] contraction during the process of phase change [56,57].
59.9 197.9 910 Sari and Kaygusuz Depending on the physico-chemical properties of the core, as
[37]
Myristic 50.4 189.4 450 Hasan and Sayigh
acid [38]
Table 5
52.99 181.0 1200 Sari [40] Eutectic mixtures [2].
53.8 192.0 910 Sari and Kaygusuz Mixtures Melting Latent heat of
[37] point fusion
[◦ C] [kJ/kg]

49.3% MgCl⋅6H2O + 50.7% Mg(NO3).6 H2O 58 132.3

The same salt in its anhydrous form is presented according to this
Na2SO4 (32.5%) H2O (41.4%), NaCl (6.66%), 13 146
formula: NH4Cl (6.16%)
61.5% Mg(NO3).6 H2O + 38.5% NH4 NO3 51 131.1
AB.nH2 O → AB + nH2 O (5)
58.3% Mg(NO3).6 H2O + 41.7% MgCl2.6 H2O 58 106
Salt hydrates are classified according to three melting behavior: CaCl2.6 H2O + CaBr2⋅H2O 14 140

congruent melting, incongruent melting and semi-congruent melting Lauric-capric acid 18 120
[36]. Lauric-palmitic 33 145
Lauric-stearic 34 150
The most used salt hydrates are CaCl2 .6H2 O(Tmelting = 28 − 30∘ C)for
Palmitic-stearic 51 160

5
S. Ben Romdhane et al.
Table 6
Advantages and disadvantages of the different types of PCMs [14,30–34]
PCM classifications Advantages/Disadvantages
Organic Paraffins - The longer the length of the hydrocarbon chain, the
higher the melting temperature and latent heat [46].
- No tendency to segregate the phases during their
transition and are chemically stable [47].
- The low saturation vapor pressure which limits the risk
of vaporization.
- Non-toxic, ecologically harmless.
- Compatible with metal tanks since they cause little or
no corrosion.
- Produced in large quantities so they are available and
inexpensive [48].
- Very low thermal conductivity (≈0. 25 W/m.K).
- They have a fairly high volume expansion (≈15%) [2].
- Low density (≈800 kg/m3).
- When using plastic tanks, paraffins can infiltrate
certain plastics and soften them.
Fatty - Have remarkable thermodynamic and kinetic
acids characteristics for low temperatures for the storage of
latent heat [36].
- High latent heat compared to that of paraffins and a
similar behavior during the phase transition, with
little or no super cooling and a variation in volume.
- The higher the number of carbon atoms in the fatty
acid molecule, the higher the melting temperature of
crystallization and the heat of fusion [36].
- They are easily produced from vegetable and animal
oils.
- They are slightly corrosive and flammable [43].
Inorganic Salt - Considered to be suitable materials for thermal storage
hydrate applications: high latent heat (varies between 100 and
300 J/g), melting temperature between 8 and 100 ◦ C
and are competitive in terms of cost and profitability
[36].
- The salt is not completely soluble in hydration water at
the melting point [49].
Metals - Their thermal conductivity is greater than other types
of PCM [36].
- Rapid heat storage with low volume expansion.
- Higher heat and long-term stability.
- Are not yet used in industrial applications because of
their mass [50].
- Corrosion problem [50].
Eutectic - They have significant potential for thermal energy
storage applications: Some are used in cooling and in
passive solar energy storage systems [51].
- High cost (About two or three times higher than the
organic or inorganic PCMs.
- Limited thermo-physical properties and strong odor
[44].
illustrated in Fig. 9 different types of particles can be obtained [51].
a) Mononuclear: A single nucleus enveloped in a continuous shell
material.
b) Polynuclear: Numerous nuclei covered with a continuous shell
material.
c) Matrix: In which the central material is evenly distributed in the shell
material.
d) Multi-wall: A continuous core coated with a multi-layer continuous
envelope material.
Micro-encapsulation method has numerous advantages such as [25,
51]:
• Heat exchange at an approximately constant temperature.
• Higher heat transfer rate because of the increase in the thermal due
to the phase change.
• Higher heat transfer due to the increased heat exchange surface.
• Reduced reactivity with surrounding materials.
6
Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563
• Possibility of using the same support, either to store or transport
energy.
• Better cooling than conventional heat transfer fluids due to the
decrease in the temperature of the fluid since there is a greater
thermal capacity.
3.4.2. Macro-encapsulation
Macro-encapsulation is a method where the PCM is packaged in
containers with dimensions varying from decimeter to meter and
generally produced for specific applications. Fig. 10 shows different
forms of macro-encapsulation [35,57] used as a constituent part of heat
exchangers. However, this method can limit heat transfer due to the low
thermal conductivity of PCMs. Also, special attention must be paid to the
separation between the PCMs and its container which can appear after
several cycles of fusion consolidation [35].
4. Integration of PCMs in building envelopes
PCMs are used in different fields: automotive sector, thermal storage
materials (solar energy storage and off peak storage), air conditioning
systems, textile, building industry, electronics and medicine [56]. A
special focus on PCMs latent heat thermal energy systems used in passive
building-related applications is given in this paper.
For the passive thermal energy systems, PCMs are integrated into the
constituent elements of the building envelope (walls, floors, windows,
roofs, ceilings, etc.) without using mechanically assisted heating or
cooling systems (Fig. 11) whereas in the active storage, the charging and
discharging uses a heat transfer fluid set in motion by a mechanical
system [58].
The use of PCMs to increase the thermal inertia of buildings is a
relatively old idea that began in 1940s. Telkes [60] studied the use of
sodium sulfate decahydrate in order to store solar energy for space
heating. His work did not arouse much interest at the start, until the
energy crisis of the late 1970s and the early 80s. During the last decades,
integrating PCMs into various components of the building has regained
more interest [54,61]. In fact, the energy is stored and destocked ac­
cording to heat exchanges with the air inside the building and its envi­
ronment (outside air, solar radiation, night radiation, etc.). These
exchanges are passive with no mechanical system, with the exception
sometimes of forced night ventilation in the building.
4.1. Incorporation of PCMs in building materials
Cunha et al. [62] studied the production and the characterization of
mortars in fresh and hardened state with incorporation of different
PCMs contents based in different binders (aerial lime, hydraulic lime,
gypsum and cement). They showed that the incorporation of PCMs in
mortars caused differences in properties such as workability, micro­
structure, compressive strength, flexural strength and adhesion. A suit­
able workability was remarked while the mechanical strength showed a
decrease with the incorporation of PCM. The same group of researchers
[63] continued their previous study and exposed the PCM microcapsules
in mortars to high temperature. The results showed a decrease in the
mechanical strength for all the temperature ranges studied, which was
due to the presence of higher content of water and the increase in their
microporosity. However, adding fibers showed an improvement in the
performance of mortars, with the exception of the gypsum based mor­
tars. Besides, the high temperatures exposure of the developed mortars
results in a decrease of the flexural, compression and adhesion strengths.
The composite PCM was prepared by Li et al. [64] by absorbing
paraffin into expanded graphite (EG) with vacuum absorption method.
The heat storage/release rates of the composite PCM and heat storage
cement mortar (HSCM) were measured with Multi-channel Temperature
Recorder. Temperature variation and heat storage coefficient of HSCM
were compared to those of the ordinary cement mortar (OCM). It was
shown that the phase change temperature and the latent heat of the
S. Ben Romdhane et al.
Fig. 6. Comparison of PCM according to their melting temperature and their latent heat (Classification by family) [52].
EG/paraffin composite PCM are 28.55 ◦ C and 183.02 kJ/kg, respec­
tively. So the EG/paraffin composite PCM has greater heat storage/r­
elease rate than that of paraffin. The maximum indoor center
temperature difference is 2.2 K during the heat storage and 1.5 K during
the heat release process for a cubic with one HSCM board and a cubic
with one OCM board. The heat storage coefficient of HSCM board is 1.74
times of that of OCM board leading to conclude that HSCM board is more
energy-efficient. HSCM board can decrease the heat effect in the heat
storage process and increase the heat effect in the heat release process.
Ramakrishnan et al. [65] integrated a novel PCM composite which
was made up of paraffin and hydrophobic expanded perlite into ordi­
nary cement mortar. Their aim was to partially replace fine aggregate
with the composite PCMs. The proportion ratios used for the
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Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563
replacement were 20%, 40% and 80%. They studied the mechanical and
thermal performance of thermal energy storage composites (TESC). The
results have shown superior thermal performance with an obvious
reduction on mechanical properties. The thermal conductivities are
decreased with the increasing replacement levels of composite PCMs. In
comparison with NC, the corresponding maximum reductions in 7 days
and 28 days of compressive strength are 60.7% and 65.8%, respectively.
The incorporation of PCM composite into cement mortar revealed lower
thermal conductivity. Thus, they concluded that TESC has high insu­
lation capacity compared to ordinary cement mortar.
Liu et al. [66] incorporated eutectic hydrate salt/expanded graphite
oxide (EHS/EGO) and EHS/poly (acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) copolymer
(EHS/P (AA-AA)) in cement mortar by mechanical blending to prepare
S. Ben Romdhane et al. Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563

Fig. 7. Cost in relation to the melting temperature of different PCMs [53].

Fig. 8. PCMs incorporation techniques [8].

thermal energy storage cement-based composite. It was found that the
compressive strength and flexural strength decreases with increasing
content of EHS/EGO and (EHS/P (AA-AA)) and that the compressive
strength is well acceptable to be used in building envelopes. The tests
have also shown that the cement mortars containing the form stable
hydrate salt PCMs can play a significant role in adjusting the peak value
of the indoor temperature owing to their good endothermic and
exothermic characteristics. They have higher thermal energy storage,
which generate the increase of inner surface and internal air tempera­
tures. The study showed that the most desirable cement mortar should
have higher heat storage density and lower thermal conductivity
(Fig. 12).
Another investigation on hybrid cement mortar-PCM composite was
conducted by Frazzica et al. [67]. Experimental results were used to
validate the numerical model developed using COMSOL Multiphysics.
Then, it was used to perform parametric analysis for the optimization of
PCM melting point. An optimal melting temperature of 27 ◦ C was ach­
ieved under Sicilian climatic condition. The researchers assured exper­
imentally and numerically the importance of PCM in a hybrid
cement-mortar in reducing the overall energy consumption and
improving the comfort conditions inside buildings during winter as well
during summer. So, adding 15 wt% of optimized PCM was able to

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S. Ben Romdhane et al. Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563

Fig. 9. Different types of micro-encapsulation [25,51]

Fig. 10. Different forms of macro-encapsulation [35,57]

improve the comfort conditions of about 15% compared to standard
solutions.
The Concrete is considered the most used construction material and
many studies proved that its energy capacity can further be enhanced by
the incorporation of PCM into concrete mixtures. For example, Hawes
et al. [68,69] investigated the thermal performance of PCM in concrete
and focused on the effect of concrete alkalinity and concrete tempera­
ture. It was concluded that the effects of concrete modification and
improved PCM incorporation techniques can increase thermal storage
up to about 300%.
A new innovative concrete wall with PCM on thermal aspects was
studied by Cabeza et al. [70]. Their investigation focused on studying
the performance of PCM concrete. The experimental setup consisted of
two identical cubicles made of concrete. One cubicle was built of
conventional concrete and the other with modified concrete containing
5% by weight of microencapsulated PCM. A decrease in temperature
fluctuation in the room with PCM is shown and a maximum temperature
in the wall with PCM is about 2 h later without PC. The obtained results
revealed that the use of microencapsulated PCM in the walls improves
thermal inertia of buildings. In the same research axis, Baetens et al.
[30] proposed an experimental setup composed of test cubicles with
PCM-enhanced concrete. Results indicated the strong opportunity for
possible air-conditioning energy saving in buildings using enhanced
concrete with PCMs and the overall heat capacity of 10 times more than
gypsum wallboards. Entrop et al. [71] presented also an experimental
setup composed of four boxes which are fully insulated with a window
located to the south through which the solar irradiation can enter. Two
boxes were equipped with PCM concrete floor and the other two with

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S. Ben Romdhane et al. Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563

Fig. 11. Integration of PCM in building envelopes [59].

Fig. 12. Thermal performance comparison between CM and EHS/EGO-CM-10.0 and EHS/P(AA-AA)-CM-10.0: (a) Thermal conductivities (b) the heat flux change on
the inside and outside surface of specimens [66].

10
S. Ben Romdhane et al.
ordinary concrete floor. Experiments revealed that the application of
PCMs in concrete floors can effectively store thermal energy in a
constructional context without applying any mechanical systems.
However, in real buildings it will be impossible to find concrete floor
without any type of coating that would protect the PCM from direct solar
radiation. Thus, less solar radiation will reach the floor and less thermal
energy can be stored. In this regard, it will be very difficult to implement
it in real practice.
A numerical study of the thermal behavior of a novel composite
PCM/concrete wall was presented by Faraji [72]. It was concluded that
the composite wall can be considered as an important storage device by
using the stored heat during the day for heating needs at night. Despite
that the PCM/wall has a significant importance in increasing the thermal
comfort in buildings, it is necessary to investigate the sub-cooling and
super-heating that occurs when the PCM doesn’t melt or solidify
immediately. Pisello et al. [73] presented new lightweight structural
PCM-filled concretes and tested them thermally and mechanically.
Three different concrete typologies were studied (Fig. 13): Concretes
with no PCM additives, used as reference material for comparison pur­
pose, concretes with microcapsulated PCMs (5% in weight of concen­
tration) and concretes with macrocapsulated PCMs (5% in weight of
concentration). They found that the prototyped concretes showed an
interesting potential from both mechanical and thermal energy per­
spectives. The macrocapsulated PCM-filled concrete showed a relatively
higher thermal conductivity than the reference one and even much
higher than the microcapsulated PCM-filled concrete. Therefore, further
improvement on macrocapsule is needed because it can represent the
optimized version of the PCM-filled concrete typically filled with
microcapsules.
An experimental characterization of concrete panels including
microencapsulated PCMs was carried out by Bahrar et al. [74]. Adding
microcapsules PCMs particles into the mass of the concrete results in a
reduction of thermal conductivity, which increases with the proportion
of PCMs. Moreover, the experiments under real weather conditions
showed a reduction in the peak of internal surface temperature up to
1.7 ◦ C and a peak shift of 2 h with night ventilation. A numerical model
was then developed based on the experimental results to evaluate
different configurations of façade elements and to determine better
combination textile reinforced concrete-PCMs.
Arivazhagan et al. [75] studied experimentally two identical con­
crete blocks with and without PCM. The PCM has been deployed in the
concrete block at a distance of 10 cm under the upper surface. The
Fig. 13. Schematic representation of the prototyped concretes [73].
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Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563
researchers found that the integration of PCM into the concrete block
reduces the maximum air temperature difference by 3 ◦ C compared to
the concrete block without PCM. Hence, PCM was considered as a
thermal management material for buildings by reducing HVAC systems
utilization and improving the thermal comfort of occupants.
Castell et al. [76] tested experimentally PCMs with two typical
construction materials: conventional and alveolar bricks. Two different
setups were performed: free-floating temperature and controlled tem­
perature. For the free-floating experiments, the results demonstrated
that the peak temperatures was reduced up to 1 ◦ C and there were more
constant conditions in the cubicles with PCM. Moreover, it was observed
that the solidification of the PCM overnight presents some problems
since no ventilation system is installed. Thus, a cooling strategy (natural
or mechanical) is needed in order to improve the performance of the
PCM. For the second setup, the controlled temperature used a heat pump
to simulate the real conditions of a house. The accumulated energy for
the heat pump was higher than that of all the other tested cubicles. The
RT27 + PU reached a reduction of 15% compared to the PU cubicle.
While the SP25+ Alveolar cubicle achieved a 17% of energy savings
compared to the Alveolar one. From the energy consumption of each
cubicle, a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 1 to 1.5 kg/year/m2 was
observed.
A numerical study of the addition of PCM material inside a typical
brick material in order to save the cooling energy in United Arab
Emirates was presented by Elnajjar [77]. The results for the three used
PCM (n-Octadecane, n-Eicosane and P116) showed that a one day
evaluation can be misleading. Besides, the PCM P116 which has the
highest melting temperature showed the best performance and energy
saving compared to the two others. Furthermore, it is recommended to
spend seven days of analysis evaluation in order to choose the right PCM
material.
Saxena et al. [78] studied experimentally the impact of PCM incor­
porated bricks, assessing the change in temperature difference and heat
flow. The evaluation of two different PCMs (Eicsosane and OM35)
showed a subcooling of 2.1 ◦ C and 2.2 ◦ C, respectively and a tempera­
ture reduction (up to 10 ◦ C) in temperature fluctuation with PCM
incorporated bricks. The two tested PCMs were revealed suitable for
application in Delhi as they were found to discharge during the off
sunshine hours, ensuring effective utilization of these PCMs. A decrease
of inside temperature between 4.5 ◦ C and 7 ◦ C during the peak hours of
the day and a reduction in heat flux by 8% and 12% for Eicosane and
OM35, respectively, were registered.
S. Ben Romdhane et al.
A novel polynary fatty acid/sludge ceramsite composite PCM was
prepared and characterized by He et al. [79]. For the preparation of the
composite PCM, polynary fatty acid eutectic mixture was incorporated
into sludge ceramsite by vacuum impregnation method and the
maximum adsorption amount was about 46 g polynary fatty acid for
100 g sludge ceramsite. The melting temperature and melting enthalpy
of the composite PCM were 26.66 ◦ C and 47.1 J/g, respectively. It was
shown that the composite PCM can effectively reduce indoor tempera­
ture fluctuation and improve indoor comfort.
Karaipekli and Sari [80] studied three novel stable-composite PCMs
(FS-CPCMs): The capric (CA)-palmitic acid (PA) eutectic mixture, hep­
tadecane (HEPD) and dodecanol (DD). The TES reliability and chemical
structure stability of the FS-CPCMs were determined based on the
thermal cycling test consisting of consecutive heating/cooling process
repeated for 3000 times. The thermal performance of FS-CPSMs
covering the walls of a test room as plasters has been investigated.
The tests showed that the gypsum plasters with FS-CPCMs can improve
the thermal comfort while keeping the indoor temperature at a
comfortable range for a long time and even reduce the energy con­
sumption. So, the thermal stability is a crucial parameter for a PCM to be
used in TES applications. Later, the same authors [81] focused on
finding the most efficient state of n-eicosane (C20) as a paraffin type
PCM. The results showed that the maximum impregnation ratio of C20
into F-SCPCM was 60 wt%. Among the components of the composite, it
was confirmed the existence of a good physico-chemical compatibility.
In conclusion, they found that the ExP/C20/CNTs (1%) composite PCM
can be a promising TES material for thermo-regulating applications in
buildings as well as in the recovery of excess heat discharged during
industrial process.
Sari et al. [82] developed and characterized the latent heat thermal
energy storage (LHTES) of a cement-based composite PCM (Cb-CPCM)
in plaster form. The study was directed toward investigating its thermal
regulation performance in a laboratory scale-cubic envelope. Due to its
high LHTES, its comfortable temperature range and other good TES
characteristics, the eutectic mixture of capric acid (CA)-myristic acid
(MA) was selected as PCM. The form-stable Cb-CPCM were tested for
their thermo-physical properties and reliability. It was found that their
melted and solidified temperatures and LHTES capacities were 21.13 ◦ C,
17.90 ◦ C, 41.78 J/g and 39.56 J/g, respectively. The Cb-CPCM can keep
thermal comfort of building envelopes and assure a relatively high
amount of latent heat storage/release capacity as well as providing
reliability and chemical stability results for long-term cycling LHTES.
Pandey et al. [83] reviewed recent approaches and developments in
the application of PCMs in solar energy systems, in photovoltaic (PV)
panels and in heating, cooling buildings. It was shown from this study
that PCMs can achieve zero energy building concepts.
Sari et al. [84] carried out a study in which Myristic Acid (MA) was
incorporated with the Silica Fume (SF) by simple and one step direct
impregnation method until having a shape-stabilized composite form.
Then, prepared SF/MA pre-composite was doped with Carbon Nano­
tubes (CNTs). The authors evaluated the novel shape-stabilized com­
posite PCMs (SS-CPCMs) by FTIR, XRD, SEM and DSC analysis. They
concluded that the SS-CPCM has better thermal properties and stability
leading to its suitability for solar passive TES applications.
A novel promising form-stabilized composite PCM (FSt-CPCM) for
low temperature TES applications in buildings was produced by Sari
et al. [85]. The results showed was proven that FSt-CPCM has a proper
melting temperature of 22.86 ◦ C, a relatively high latent heat capacity of
76.16 J/g, an outstanding chemical stability and TES reliability. The
results of a scaled-test room showed also that the cement plaster con­
taining FSt-CPCM displayed appreciated temperature control perfor­
mance compared to ordinary cement plaster. Later, the same authors
[86] produced a carbonized waste tire (CWT) from the waste tire rub­
bers (WTRs). The experimental results showed that the CWT can be
considered as a supporting and a thermal conductivity framework for an
organic PCM used in TES applications.
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Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563
Sari et al. [87] then focused on the development of a low-cost and
eco-friendly composite PCM: the wood fiber (WF)/capric acid-stearic
acid (CA-SA) eutectic mixture. The eutectic PCM was successfully
impregnated with WF. The DSC results showed that the CPCM had a
melting temperature of 23.38 ◦ C and latent heat of 92.1 J/g. Through
the TGA measurements, it was revealed that the servicing temperature
of the CPCM was much higher than its thermal decomposition limit.
A different type lightweight building element composite PCMs was
used by Sari et al. [88]. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was incorporated
with palygorskite (Pal) clay to develop a novel form-stable composite
PCM (F-SCPCM). The results showed that the F-SCPCM has considerable
high thermal durability and can be considered as an additive material
for producing green construction components.
4.2. Integration of PCM in wallboards
Numerous researchers have studied numerically and experimentally
the PCM applications in wallboards which are considered economical
and commonly used in lightweight construction. Hawes et al. [69] used
direct incorporation and immersion techniques in their investigation.
They successfully impregnated 25–30% by weight of PCM in gypsum
wallboards and they found:
• Eleven-fold increase in energy-storage capacity (through a 4 ◦ C rise)
compared to conventional wallboard.
• Good stability of the materials.
• Comparable flexural strength.
• Depending upon the type and content of PCM, thermal conductivity
values were within the range of ±15%.
• Excellent fire resistance and slightly greater flame travel than the
conventional board.
• Good compatibility with paints and wallpapers.
• More durable in moist environment because the PCM wallboard
absorb less than a third of the moisture absorbed by conventional
wallboards.
• 22% increased weight than conventional wallboard but still within
the weight limits accepted by the industry.
Gypsum boards impregnated with about 25% by mass of PCM was
used in a passive solar test room in Montreal by Athienitis et al. [89].
The research covered both experimental and numerical aspects. A sim­
ilarity between the simulation and the experimental results was
observed. It was concluded that using PCM can reduce the maximum
ambient temperature by around 4 ◦ C during the day and a significantly
reduction of the heating load at night. Therefore, PCM applied over a
large area in a passive solar building is effective for storing solar gains
and improving thermal comfort.
Shilei et al. [90] experimentally evaluated the performance of gyp­
sum wallboards impregnated with 26% of PCM in winter in the north­
east of China. The phase change wallboards were stick on the surface of
an ordinary room wall. According to the test results, the maximum
temperature fluctuation and thermal flow in PCM wall room were lower
than ordinary wall room. Later, they developed gypsum boards incor­
porating PCM for application in the surface of a common wall in a test
room. It was verified that the PCM application was effective in the use of
cooling systems [91].
The behavior of PCM in a model room having one window facing the
south was studied by Darkwa et al. [92]. Considering the effect of three
phase change zones (narrow, intermediate and wide) of the PCM sample,
they found that laminated wallboard with a narrow phase change zone
was the best choice. The results showed its effectiveness in moderating
the night time temperature in a passively designed room and its role at
night in increasing the minimum room temperature by about 17% more
than the randomly mixed type.
A study by Ahmad et al. [93] was presented in order to improve the
thermal inertia of the walls and to produce light envelope. Three types of
S. Ben Romdhane et al.
wallboards were studied: (a) a polycarbonate panel filled with paraffin
granulates, (b) a polycarbonate panel filled with polyethylene glycol
600, (c) a PVC panel filled with PEG 600 and coupled to a VIP (vacuum
insulation panel). An experimental setup was built to determine the
thermal response of these wallboards to thermal solicitations. The re­
sults showed that the selected polycarbonate panels filled either with
granules or with PEG 600 were not convenient. In fact, the main
objective was to obtain a wallboard thickness of 5 cm and to choose
commercial light panels in order to have high heat capacity storage. It
was shown that the PVC panels filled with PEG 600 showed compatible
properties. Besides, after doing reliability tests, the PCM panels showed
good thermal performance even after 480 thermal cycles. The research
included also a numerical simulation in order to interrupt the experi­
mental data.
Kuznik et al. [94] investigated experimentally a wallboard new PCM
composed of 60% of microencapsulated paraffin in order to enhance the
thermal behavior of light weight building internal partition wall. The
test room consists of two identical enclosures [95]. The study was con­
ducted under controlled thermal and radiative effects with and without
PCM. The results proved that the PCM allows the reduction of the room
air temperature fluctuations, in particular when overheating occurs. The
wall surface temperature peaks were flattened and the natural convec­
tion mixing of the air was enhanced by PCM material, avoiding un­
comfortable thermal stratifications. Besides, the energy stocked with
PCM is about twice of the standard wall. However, it is required to equip
the test room with some additional measures to reduce the temperature
fluctuations.
Borreguero et al. [96] focused on gypsum blocks that contain three
different amounts of PCMs (0, 4.7 and 7.5 weight percentages of mi­
crocapsules). The results demonstrated that the higher the PCM amount
is used, the lower (or higher) the external wall temperature for heating
(or cooling) process. They confirmed an improvement in the thermal
insulation capacity of the gypsum by adding microcapsules containing
PCMs. The maximum or minimum room temperature can even be kept
to 1.3 ◦ C by incorporating 7.5% by weight of microcapsules with PCMs
leading to improve thermal comfort and reduce the weight of wall
panels.
Chhugani et al. [97] considered two different PCM wallboards: the
Knauf Comfortboard-23 and the DuPont Energain board. The first
wallboard contained 80% gypsum and 20% microencapsulated paraffin.
The second one was composed of a compound of paraffin and copol­
ymer. They were installed in the office rooms of the Energy Efficiency
Center of ZAE Bayern in Würzburg, Germany. The experimental results
have shown that PCM wallboards can provide passive cooling powers of
around 8 W/m2 under typical office room conditions. They can store
almost twice as conventional gypsum boards and can even provide
passive cooling power comparable to a 15 cm thickness of a concrete
wall. It was also revealed that the Knauf Comfortboard-23 have better
regeneration (below 20%) behavior during the summer months than the
DuPont Energain board (in average 1%).
Thermal behavior of microencapsulated PCM wallboards was
numerically investigated by El Rhafiki et al. [98]. Various parameters
like heating/cooling rate and volume fraction of PCM were studied.
They noticed that the thermo-physical properties of the studied building
material can be simply found by using heat flux curves on both sides of
the building material. Moreover, the use of higher heating rates showed
an increase in the temperature gradients. That’s why they recommended
to use lower heating rates.
Sari [99] impregnated of n-heneicosane (HE) as an organic PCM into
bentonite (BNT) clay. He found that the HE was well incorporated into
the pores of the BNT. It had good compatibility with the components of
the composites, good thermal durability and good long-term thermal
reliability and chemical stability. The use of a developed BNT/HE
composite PCM as a wallboard in the construction will surely open a new
practice opportunities in the building industry.
Xie et al. [100] studied numerically five wallboards which were used
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Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563
in the exterior wall of an air-conditioning room in Beijing. The boundary
conditions of the PCM wall are shown in Fig. 14. Through this study,
four new aspects of the thermal performance analysis of PCM wallboards
were presented. The wallboard concluded having good thermal perfor­
mance was the one having less convective heat, low relative thermal
conductivity or low heat ratio. In June, the convective heat was 103 kJ.
However, in December it was 72 kJ. So, doing a thermal performance
analysis for an entire year was mandatory because the convective heat
for one month is different from the other. The phase change has a
meaningful impact and the thermal performance of PCM wallboard can
be improved considerably by changing the latent heat and the phase
change temperature. They even calculated the heat transfer coefficient
of the five PCMs walls in twelve months. They found that all PCMs walls
do not meet the design standard for energy efficiency of buildings. The
solution considered was to increase the thickness of the insulation layer
to 4.5 cm, thus they found satisfactory results.
Chaoen et al. [101] investigated the thermo-physical properties of
the PCM-contained wallboard. The temperature and the heat flux were
recorded during the cooling and the heating process by experimental
equipments. The test wall was placed between two aluminum plate heat
exchangers. Besides, different ways have been discussed in order to
determinate the enthalpy temperature curves (H (t)): dynamic method,
DSC data and analogous step method. The results indicated that dynamic
method and step method are more suitable for real wallboard test. There
was difference between the specific heat capacities of the composite
PCMs wallboard and the gypsum wallboards in which the PCMs wall­
board was much larger.
Wang et al. [102] evaluated the performance of PCM wallboards in
air conditioned lightweight buildings in Shanghai using EnergyPlus.
They studied different locations in the middle floor. The results showed
that the PCM wallboards can effectively improve the indoor comfort for
both cooling and heating seasons. Yet, the PCM in winter has higher
efficiency than in summer due to the different effects of solar in both
seasons. Lastly, the integration of PCM into the southern wall was
considered to be the most economic profit.
4.3. Integration of PCM in roofs
The thermal performance of an inorganic eutectic PCM test room was
experimentally and numerically investigated by Pasupathy et al. [103].
Two identical test rooms were constructed: one room without PCM on
the roof whereas the other had a PCM panel between the bottoms con­
crete slab and rooftop slab (Fig. 15). Several simulations were run for
various parameters of interest: ambient condition, heat transfer coeffi­
cient, PCM panel thickness and the effect of water circulation through
the PCM panel. The numerical and experimental results have shown that
the environment has little effect on the inner surface of the ceiling
because all the heat energy was absorbed by the PCM kept in the roof.
For the ceiling without PCM, a large fluctuation was observed as the
Fig. 14. Boundary conditions of the PCM wall [100].
S. Ben Romdhane et al.
Fig. 15. Modeling of a PCM integrated building roof system [103].
outside environment immediately influences the ceiling of the non-PCM
room. During the day time, there was a small decrease in ceiling tem­
perature whereas a small increase in ceiling temperature during the
night was remarked. This reduces the fluctuation of temperature inside
the PCM room. It was also observed that the quantity of water required
was very large which was not easily available during summer months.
Dong et al. [104] investigated numerically the thermal performance
of different kinds of roofs with and without PCMs. In this study, the
influence factors such as solar radiation intensity, transition tempera­
ture, PCM latent heat, roof slope, PCM layer thickness and absorption
coefficients were explored. The simulation results showed that the delay
time of the peak temperatures of the base layer in the PCM roofs were 3 h
more than the control roof. It is found that the effect of the transition
temperature and the latent heat of PCM on roofs thermal performance is
relatively weak compared to that of the roof slope.
Tokuç et al. [105] carried out an experimental and numerical anal­
ysis of a building’s flat roof incorporating a layer of PCM. The experi­
mental measurements were used to validate the CFD model reporting
5.30% and 0.28% of errors for flat roofs with and without PCM,
respectively. The results showed a decrease in the heat flux by 2.1% and
9.6% when the PCM roof thickness was changed between 1 cm and 5 cm,
respectively. Consequently, a PCM thickness of 2 cm was found to be
suitable for use in flat roofs in Istanbul to improve thermal comfort in
buildings.
Three types of building models with different HVAC schedules and
PCM layer thickness and different melting points (23 ◦ C, 25 ◦ C and
27 ◦ C) were studied by Saffari et al. [106]. The panels studied were
placed in the inner part of the walls and roof construction. The inves­
tigation proved that the application of PCM improved the cooling and
heating energy performances and provided saving during winter and
summer. Besides, a PCM with a 27 ◦ C melting point temperature ach­
ieved the highest annual energy savings, higher energy savings and
lower payback periods.
Elarga et al. [107] monitored a roof-filled PCM panel in Torino, Italy
with different melting temperatures and then compared the results with
a reference roof without a PCM layer. One week of experimental results
(from 13th to 20th August) showed that the outdoor temperature was
between ~16 ◦ C (minimum night temperature) and ~32 ◦ C (maximum
daily temperature) while the indoor temperatures were between ~20 ◦ C
and ~33 ◦ C. Also, a reduction of the ongoing heat peak load between
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Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563
13% and 59% depending on the PCM typology is found. The study
proved that the PCM enhanced components are a promising solution
toward higher thermal performance efficiency in roof attic spaces during
the summer season.
Liu et al. [108] developed a numerical model to study the influence
of air convection on the thermal and optical performance of a
multi-layer glass roof containing PCM. It was then validated using a set
of available experimental data collected in small-scale test facility
composed of rooms and roof at Northeast Petroleum University in the
city of Daqing. A good accord was found between the simulations and
experimental results. A weak influence of different PCM melting tem­
peratures and thicknesses was reported, except for its effect on the in­
door temperature. A PCM thickness of 12–20 mm and a melting
temperature of 16–18 ◦ C were recommended for a glazed roof to ensure
thermal performance.
Meng et al. [109] have conducted an experimental study of 3
full-scale rooms. The three rooms were installed with PCM roof,
reflectivity roof and common roof. Each room contains a single-glazed
window on the south wall. For the PCM roof, it was to lay a layer of
PCM-concrete board with a 15 mm thickness outside the roof. They
concluded that the high reflectivity PCM roof can reduce the indoor air
temperature fluctuation by 8.5% in cloudy day and 17% in sunny day.
Also, it can even reduce the inner surface temperature of the roof by
2.2 ◦ C and decrease the inner surface heat flux by 66.8%. The inner
surface heat flux of the high reflectivity PCM roof was negative corre­
lated with weather factors while all other parameters were positively
correlated. The high reflectivity film is found to reduce the heat gain
from solar radiation due to the PCM layer which can store most of the
heat passing through the reflectivity film.
A 3D numerical model of a PCM integrated roof was developed by
Bhamare et al. [110]. The thermal performance of PCM integrated roof
was analyzed for the climatic conditions of Chennai for the month of
January. The results showed that the integrated PCM roof keeps the
ceiling temperature almost constant in the range of 25.5–27.5 ◦ C and
can even reduce the maximum thermal loads compared to a roof without
PCM. It was noted that, for the same thickness and the same material
properties, the PCM slab inclined at 2◦ offered a maximum reduction in
ceiling temperature of 2.38 ◦ C and saved up to 0.106 kWh/m2 in daily
heat gain compared to non PCM room. The inclination of PCM inte­
grated roof represented a solution to achieve daily heat gains and to
design a PCM based passive cooling technique suitable for building
applications.
4.4. Integration of PCM in floors
Karim et al. [111] proposed improvements of the energy perfor­
mance of hallow concrete floor panel through the insertion of PCM in
cylindrical holes in the floor panel. During the day time, a part of the
heat from the solar radiation was absorbed by the element through the
melting process. In this manner, the thermal comfort in the room
improved without any need to use an air conditioning system. During
the night, the PCM releases the stored heat while it solidifies. The PCM
was able to completely store the thermal energy after approximately 8 h
and could even store 70% of the heat energy after 6 h. This type of panels
was considered to be a good choice in office building because they can
shift heat gains and improve thermal comfort. Afterward, Royon et al.
[112] developed a numerical model of a floor with five annular con­
figurations of different percentages of PCM concentrations using COM­
SOL Multiphysics. The Numerical model was validated with the
experimental results. They found that the surface temperature variations
in the floor panel were reduced by approximately 2 ◦ C with an ampli­
fication on the peak load shifting. The floor panel with concentrations of
50–100% of PCM was found to reach the lowest temperature variations
and surface temperatures.
A 15 m2 test room located inside the indoor climate laboratory at
HiOA in Oslo was created by Vik et al. [113]. The test room was
S. Ben Romdhane et al.
separated from the laboratory room by roof, floor and walls with a door
and a window on one of the walls. The results revealed that using 17 m2
of PCM can achieve more significant passive cooling effect. The most
important effect was obtained when the PCM was directly exposed to the
occupied area. This method exhibited a solution to avoid the use of a
local mechanical cooling system and thereby to save energy and reduce
maintenance costs.
Mehdaoui et al. [114] installed an experimental setup in the Thermal
Process Laboratory in Borj Cedria, Tunisia tested for 14 consecutive days
of February and March. During the heating phase, they remarked that
the temperature inside the test cell equipped with the PCM vertical
enclosure was around 28 ◦ C. Once the vertical PCM enclosure was
omitted, the inside temperature of the test cell was between 29 and
40 ◦ C. The numerical simulation was performed using the TRNSYS
software. It is worth noting that the thermal inertial of the wall as well as
the thermal comfort of the occupant were improved while using inte­
grated well dimensioned vertical PCM enclosure. A case study for a
typical modern house composed of 5 rooms with a floor area of 120 m2
in Tunis, Tunisia was also simulated. The results obtained for a single
room equipped with a PCM wall demonstrated that the energy stored
inside the PCM wall reached about 1200 kJ/m2 and the temperatures
had a gain of about 2 ◦ C during the night.
Shilei et al. [115] carried out an experiment in the rural area of
China. Two rooms were used: the reference room was with no heating
equipment and the experimental room was equipped with PCM floor
heating system. Two south windows and east windows were installed in
both rooms. A 26 day experimental study was conducted to examine the
operational effect of the system under four different strategies. Strategy
1: partial operation strategy, Strategy 2: energy storage strategy during
the day, Strategy 3: night energy storage strategy and Strategy 4: phased
energy storage strategy. At first, the average temperature in the exper­
imental room was 18.9 ◦ C and the daily temperature fluctuation was
controlled at 2.1 ◦ C. A persuasive effect of indoor comfort was shown
using Strategy 1. In the advanced stage of heating, the difference in
indoor temperature fluctuations could be applied by changes in the
outdoor climate and operating strategies. However, the operating
strategy had less impact on the distribution of indoor temperature. The
experimental results revealed that the system could provide comfortable
indoor thermal environment while adjusting operational strategies. The
average daily temperature fluctuation of 3 ◦ C has confirmed the feasi­
bility of creating a comfortable environment with slight temperature
fluctuations via the intermittent of PCM floor heating. Later, they even
Fig. 16. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) and Thermal Energy Storage publications between 1997 and 2019. Source: Science Direct.
15
Journal of Building Engineering 32 (2020) 101563
developed a 2D model CPRF using TRNSYS [116] and performed a
full-scale experiment to verify its reliability. They revealed that the
reduction in tube pitch and solidification temperature, the increase of
the PCM layer thickness and the solar collector area could increase the
indoor temperature.
5. Future recommendations
Thermal energy storage using PCMs offers a lot of potential. By
storing the excess energy and using it for the peak of time, the temper­
ature fluctuation is reduced which make the technology worthy. Thus,
the integration of PCMs in building components attracted the interest of
a lot of researchers around the world. This can be illustrated by the
increased number of research papers published between 1997 and 2019
(Fig. 16).
Despite the numerous research papers on improving the performance
of TES system and the numerous results obtained, there is still much
work to be done. Some of the future areas of development in this topic
are as follow:
- Special focus should be made regarding the economic and environ­
mental evaluation of PCMs in building applications which are yet not
well covered in scientific publications.
- Further research needs to be done on the integration of PCMs to the
existing building structures.
- A combination of two or more systems at the same time, including
Passive-passive, active-active or active-passive combined systems,
could be a potentially important topic for future studies, because
relying on just passive cooling techniques is not sufficient as they are
extremely dependent on climatic factors. For example, a newly
research was done in combining the passive PCM system with the
hydronic capillary-tube radiant system [117] in order to conserve
energy and improve indoor thermal environment. So, further studies
should be done regarding the possible combinations that can be
considered.
6. Conclusions
The current paper presents previous research works related to ther­
mal energy storage with PCMs for passive building applications. Based
on the review, the following conclusions can be drawn:
S. Ben Romdhane et al.
- Latent heat thermal energy storage systems stores 5–14 times more
heat than sensible heat thermal energy storage material.
- The phase change temperature of PCMs should be between 18 ◦ C and
30 ◦ C so it can meet thermal comfort criteria.
- The usage of PCMs as latent heat thermal energy storage needs to
meet certain criteria like thermodynamic, chemical and kinetic
properties in order to be able to save energy while maintaining the
comfort inside the building by decreasing the temperature
fluctuations.
- Chemical stability, fire characteristics and compatibility with
constructional materials need to be taken into account in the selec­
tion of PCM.
- When considering the experimental setups and the numerical simu­
lations, the boundary conditions must represent realistic conditions
in order to have a precise and real performance of PCMs.
- Climatic conditions must be considered when studying the perfor­
mance of PCMs.
- Thermal improvements in buildings can easily be influenced by the
boundary conditions, the type of PCM, the melting temperature, the
orientation of the building and the components of the building.
- The energy saving of PCM increases with the decrease of the thick­
ness of PCM layer and the increase of the surface area to a certain
optimal level.
- Two methods of encapsulation were displayed: micro-encapsulation
and macro-encapsulation. These methods can effectively improve
LHS thermal performance. Yet, the choice should be based on the
type of the material to be doped, its application in the building and
its cost.
- The potential of passive application of the PCMs in the building
construction depends on the tested PCMs, the amount used in the test
room, their configuration and the materials they are integrated with.
- Incorporation of PCMs in mortars leads to a change in the properties
such as workability, microstructure, compressive strength, flexural
strength and adhesion.
- The integration of microencapsulated PCM in a concrete wall can
improve the thermal inertia and the lower inner temperature.
- Integrating PCMs in building envelopes is indeed the best solution for
exploiting the PCM potential in reducing energy cost, the peak in­
door air temperature and the fluctuation of indoor temperature.
Also, they are able to provide good performance and increase the
thermal comfort of buildings.
- Expanded graphite is very effective in improving the thermal con­
ductivity of PCM.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their gratitude to King Khalid
University, Saudi Arabia for providing administrative and technical
support.
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