Integration of phase change materials in building structures

The thesis deals with the integration of phase change materials (PCMs) into building structures. The basic requirement is improved thermal stability during the summer season without using an air conditioner. This can be achieved by increasing the thermal storage capacity of the building structures. If the thermal capacity cannot be increased on the level of weight, phase change materials can be used. These materials are capable of storing latent heat and thus increasing the thermal storage capacity of the building. In the thesis the phase change materials were investigated in a thermal incubator by thermal analysis and, above all, in full-scale experiments using comparative measurements. The comparative measurements were carried out in two attic rooms at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, where in one was used as a reference and the other for the experiment. Manufactured heat storage panels were installed in the experimental room. These panels are composed of a base plate; the capillary tubes placed on it are coated with modified plaster. The gypsum plaster is modified with micro-capsules paraffin for improving the thermal storage capacity. This system is connected to a thermal air-water pump, by which the storage panels can be additionally cooled or heated. In the experimental measurements, different operating modes were investigated and their effect on the indoor environment was evaluated. Thermal storage in PCMs dampens the temperature amplitude in the building during the summer season and, at the same time, allows the stored heat to be discharged during the night. Moreover, the time interval of withdrawing electric energy from the supply mains is much shorter than in the case of air conditioning. A conventional air conditioner must operate simultaneously with the thermal load, i.e. at the time of peak consumption of electric energy. Thanks to the set regimes, the installed system is capable of responding to external thermal condi