Experimental Validation of Thermal Performance of Phase Change Radiator and Application in Solar Heating Systems
4 affiliations
- 1Key Laboratory of Green Built Environment and Energy Efficient Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
- 2Key Laboratory of Green Built Environment and Energy Efficient Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China; Corresponding author.
- 3State Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Built Environment, China Academy of Building Research, Beijing 100013, China
- 4Key Laboratory of Solar Photovoltaic and thermal Utilization of Xizang Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850000, China
Abstract
To meet the low-cost heating demand in solar-rich regions, we utilized phase change thermal storage technology to temporarily store excess solar heat during the day and release it at night to improve the energy efficiency. The optimal placement of phase change material was explored, and a phase change radiator (PCR) was proposed. The heating performance of the PCR under typical winter operating conditions was verified through experiments. Using a standalone building in Lhasa as a case, the TRNSYS simulation was employed to assess the economic and environmental benefits of the Solar-PCR heating system under intermittent heating conditions in winter. The results show that the PCR effectively slows down the indoor temperature drop under intermittent heating and maintains the room temperature above 16 °C at night. An increase in the supply water temperature can shorten the phase change time and accelerate the rate of room temperature rise, whereas supply water flow rate has a smaller impact on indoor temperature. Furthermore, in January, the PCR application in solar heating systems improves the solar fraction compared to a conventional radiator (CR) from 39.0 % to 53.5 %, with an annual energy saving rate of 33.2 % and a reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2098.3 kg.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026experimental,
title = {{Experimental Validation of Thermal Performance of Phase Change Radiator and Application in Solar Heating Systems}},
author = {Yixuan Liu and Zihan Zhang and Weirong Zhang and Gaofeng Deng and Guomin Zhou},
journal = {Energy and Built Environment},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.enbenv.2025.11.001},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbenv.2025.11.001},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Experimental Validation of Thermal Performance of Phase Change Radiator and Application in Solar Heating Systems
AU - Yixuan Liu
AU - Zihan Zhang
AU - Weirong Zhang
AU - Gaofeng Deng
AU - Guomin Zhou
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Energy and Built Environment
DO - 10.1016/j.enbenv.2025.11.001
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbenv.2025.11.001
AB - To meet the low-cost heating demand in solar-rich regions, we utilized phase change thermal storage technology to temporarily store excess solar heat during the day and release it at night to improve the energy efficiency. The optimal placement of phase change material was explored, and a phase change radiator (PCR) was proposed. The heating performance of the PCR under typical winter operating conditions was verified through experiments. Using a standalone building in Lhasa as a case, the TRNSYS simulation was employed to assess the economic and environmental benefits of the Solar-PCR heating system under intermittent heating conditions in winter. The results show that the PCR effectively slows down the indoor temperature drop under intermittent heating and maintains the room temperature above 16 °C at night. An increase in the supply water temperature can shorten the phase change time and accelerate the rate of room temperature rise, whereas supply water flow rate has a smaller impact on indoor temperature. Furthermore, in January, the PCR application in solar heating systems improves the solar fraction compared to a conventional radiator (CR) from 39.0 % to 53.5 %, with an annual energy saving rate of 33.2 % and a reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2098.3 kg.
SN - 2666-1233
ER -