Comparative analysis of PCM configurations for energy-efficient air conditioning systems: A case study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

This study examines the integration of Phase Change Materials (PCM) with air conditioning (AC) systems to address the challenge of high energy consumption in buildings, particularly in hot climates such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The PCM unit is employed before the AC condenser as an air cooler. Three...

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Main Authors: Abdulaziz Alasiri, Mohamed Nasser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X24017222
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author Abdulaziz Alasiri
Mohamed Nasser
author_facet Abdulaziz Alasiri
Mohamed Nasser
author_sort Abdulaziz Alasiri
collection DOAJ
description This study examines the integration of Phase Change Materials (PCM) with air conditioning (AC) systems to address the challenge of high energy consumption in buildings, particularly in hot climates such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The PCM unit is employed before the AC condenser as an air cooler. Three scenarios are conducted: a base AC without PCM and an AC with flat and corrugated PCM plates. Through numerical simulation and experimental validation, the study demonstrates optimistic improvements in system performance. The integration of PCM resulted in annual energy savings of 7.6 % and 8.6 % for corrugated and flat PCM structures, respectively. The cooling effect lasted approximately 7 h during summer months, with maximum air temperature differentials across the PCM unit of around 3 °C observed in July and August for the corrugated PCM structure. The study employed comprehensive thermodynamic analysis and computational fluid dynamics to evaluate system performance across different summer months conditions. Results show that PCM integration effectively reduces peak cooling loads and improves overall system efficiency. The findings demonstrate that both PCM configurations offer viable solutions for enhancing AC system performance in hot climates, with the flat PCM showing slightly superior energy savings despite the corrugated design's better initial cooling performance.
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spelling doaj-art-39c795192ee443c8b5f8753d25e3aa612025-01-08T04:52:54ZengElsevierCase Studies in Thermal Engineering2214-157X2025-01-0165105691Comparative analysis of PCM configurations for energy-efficient air conditioning systems: A case study in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaAbdulaziz Alasiri0Mohamed Nasser1Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaMechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt; Corresponding author.This study examines the integration of Phase Change Materials (PCM) with air conditioning (AC) systems to address the challenge of high energy consumption in buildings, particularly in hot climates such as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The PCM unit is employed before the AC condenser as an air cooler. Three scenarios are conducted: a base AC without PCM and an AC with flat and corrugated PCM plates. Through numerical simulation and experimental validation, the study demonstrates optimistic improvements in system performance. The integration of PCM resulted in annual energy savings of 7.6 % and 8.6 % for corrugated and flat PCM structures, respectively. The cooling effect lasted approximately 7 h during summer months, with maximum air temperature differentials across the PCM unit of around 3 °C observed in July and August for the corrugated PCM structure. The study employed comprehensive thermodynamic analysis and computational fluid dynamics to evaluate system performance across different summer months conditions. Results show that PCM integration effectively reduces peak cooling loads and improves overall system efficiency. The findings demonstrate that both PCM configurations offer viable solutions for enhancing AC system performance in hot climates, with the flat PCM showing slightly superior energy savings despite the corrugated design's better initial cooling performance.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X24017222Air conditioning systemPCMEnergy savingCOPSimulation
spellingShingle Abdulaziz Alasiri
Mohamed Nasser
Comparative analysis of PCM configurations for energy-efficient air conditioning systems: A case study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
Air conditioning system
PCM
Energy saving
COP
Simulation
title Comparative analysis of PCM configurations for energy-efficient air conditioning systems: A case study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
title_full Comparative analysis of PCM configurations for energy-efficient air conditioning systems: A case study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
title_fullStr Comparative analysis of PCM configurations for energy-efficient air conditioning systems: A case study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
title_full_unstemmed Comparative analysis of PCM configurations for energy-efficient air conditioning systems: A case study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
title_short Comparative analysis of PCM configurations for energy-efficient air conditioning systems: A case study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
title_sort comparative analysis of pcm configurations for energy efficient air conditioning systems a case study in riyadh saudi arabia
topic Air conditioning system
PCM
Energy saving
COP
Simulation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X24017222
work_keys_str_mv AT abdulazizalasiri comparativeanalysisofpcmconfigurationsforenergyefficientairconditioningsystemsacasestudyinriyadhsaudiarabia
AT mohamednasser comparativeanalysisofpcmconfigurationsforenergyefficientairconditioningsystemsacasestudyinriyadhsaudiarabia