THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE USING PERLITE/PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL COMPOSITE

THIS STUDY PROPOSES INVESTIGATING THE FEASIBILITY OF USING EXPANDED PERLITE, SATURATED WITH A PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL WITHOUT HERMETIC SEALING, TO SHIFT SPACE CONDITIONING LOADS IN HOMES AND SMALL BUSINESS STRUCTURES. A METHOD HAS BEEN FOUND TO IMPREGNATE POPPED PERLITE GRANULES WITH A LIQUID PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL (PCM) SUCH AS CALCIUM CHLORIDE HEXAHYDRATESUCH THAT THE GRANULES, WHEN SATURATED, REMAIN SURFACE DRY. THIS METHOD ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR HERMETIC ENCAPSULATION, GREATING REDUCING THE COST AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE HEAT TRANSFER EFFECTIVENESS TO AND FROM THE PCM. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN USED IN AN ACTIVELY CHARGED AND DISCHARGED THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM TO SHIFT PEAK COOLING AND HEATING LOADS, ROOM AIR MIGHT BE BLOWN THROUGH THE PERLITE GRANULES IN DIRECT CONTACT, MAXIMIZING HEAT TRANSFER EFFECTIVENESS. OR THIN-WALLED PLASTIC CONTAINERS COULD BE USED. ANOTHER WAY TO SHIFT DEMAND IS TO USE THE MIXTURE PASSIVELY AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR INSULATION IN EXTERIOR WALLS, DELAYING AND REDUCING HEAT TRANSFER THROUGH THE WALL. THIS STUDY WILL ANALYZE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THE PERLITE/PCM COMPOSITE FOR LOAD SHIFTING AND WILL CONDUCT CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTAL TESTS TO ENSURE STABILITY AND TO MODEL PERFORMANCE.