Dynamic heat transfer and electric energy consumption performance of dry floor heating systems mixed with low-cost phase-change material and activated carbon for field application

Abstract

The growing energy deficit has amplified the necessity for exploring alternatives to fulfill essential energy requirements, which have been consistently increasing. To meet energy demands, integrating latent heat storage technology using phase change materials (PCMs) with radiant floor heating systems (RFS) has garnered increasing attention for enhancing energy storage efficiency, achieving significant energy savings, and improving indoor thermal comfort. To address the shortcomings of phase change materials (PCMs), such as phase leakage and low thermal conductivity, this study developed a thermal storage floor heating layer using activated carbon (AC) and Paraffin wax (ACP), analyzing its thermal performance and energy consumption within a dry floor heating system. The thermal performance analysis showed that the latent heat of ACP, vacuum-impregnated with AC and Paraffin wax, was 60.7 % lower than that of pure Paraffin wax due to the PCM mixing ratio. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that 66.18 % of the ACP mass remained after the first peak, with an additional 8.5 % weight loss at 600 °C, leaving 33.82 %, indicating that while AC experienced weight loss, ACP demonstrated greater heat durability compared to Paraffin wax. A dynamic heat transfer performance analysis using various finishing materials showed that linoleum had the smallest surface temperature deviation at 1.7 °C, effectively minimizing the surface temperature variation of the PCM linear heating type dry floor heating system compared to other materials. To reduce the surface temperature deviation of the PCM linear heating type dry floor heating system, the dynamic heat transfer performance was analyzed by applying a PCM container to the film dry floor heating system. The results confirmed that the PCM film dry floor heating has a lower surface temperature deviation than wet floor heating, which can address the shortcomings of linear heat-based floor heating.