Influence of coupling air conditioner with hybrid PCMs on building interior conditions and consumed power: Experimental investigation

Air conditioning systems are vital for modern comfort but consume a substantial portion of global energy, contributing to environmental concerns and rising energy costs. PCMs can store and release energy during phase transitions, making them promise to reduce cooling loads. This study endeavors to empirically investigate the influence of integrating hybrid Phase Change Materials (PCMs), specifically PCMSP24E and PCMSP26E, with a real vapor compression refrigeration system. The primary focus is on assessing the consequential effects on the energy consumption of the refrigeration system and the interior environmental conditions within a building, including temperature and relative humidity. The energy usage of the split air conditioner wherein the outdoor unit is attached to PCMs tube heat exchanger for precooling the incoming air is investigated. Experiments reveal that PCM precooling effectively reduces the ambient air temperature entering the air conditioning condenser, leading to substantial energy savings. Increasing the PCM quantity enhances the system performance and refrigeration unit power saving. With 11 kg of PCMs, energy consumption by the air conditioning system decreases by 10.4 %, and indoor air temperature and relative humidity reduce by 0.5° and 5 %, respectively. Hence, PCM integration ensures a more consistent indoor temperature profile, enhancing occupant comfort and reducing temperature fluctuations.