[esp-r] Re: ESP-r Phase Change Materials

[Alaa Al-Mosawi]

Dear Michael,

First Question: Does the PCM take over the layer, meaning does it swap out my slate tile properties for the PCM properties?

The special material function of ESP-r may be applied to a particular node within a multi-layer construction. Any node defined as a special material is then subjected to a time variation in its basic thermo-physical properties. The phase change temperature regulates the initial thermo-physical properties. The effect of phase transition on the final thermo physical properties is added/extracted by appropriate adjustments to the corresponding general energy balance equation.
In other words, throug the simulation the thermo physical properties for the original layer are updated with the new phase change thermo physical ratio in the energy balance equation directly at each time step.


Having created this file and run a simulation, there is no difference in the results. Now this could be the properties of the PCM I choose are such that it would make no difference but I believe that the simulation is not using this active materials file at all.  When I restart ESP-r and attempt to view or edit my active materials file ESP-r does not have the file name saved and I have to respecify each time. Perhaps its as simple as adding an active materials file path to the cfg file but I do not know what the proper suffix should be.

In the absence of the PCM effect, may be the reason because the limits of the phase change temperature are not appropriate to the application? Or through  simulation procedures, the ESP-r  not found any flag for PCM in the specific layer?  
Please, give me additional information about the steps that you used to integrate  a phase change material in your model? and your ESP-r release number?Copy for your 'cfg file' after updating with  PCM?  

Regards.

Alaa Al-Mosawi
ESRU