- Author
- Greenberg, J. | Reeder, B. C.
- Title
- Phase Change Thermal Energy Storage and the Model Building Codes. Final Report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- Department of Energy, Washington, DC
- Report
- NBSIR 84-2909, August 1984,
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- building codes; heating systems; cooling systems; solar energy; latent heat; plumbing; heat of fusion; hydrates; thermochemistry; design criteria; performance evaluation | solar energy
- Identifiers
- thermal energy storage equipment; phase change materials
- Abstract
- Thermal energy systems using phase change materials are currently being developed and used for storing energy collected by solar and other means. This report is intended to bridge the gap between those who design and install phase change thermal storage devices and the building code official who evaluates these devices for code compliance. The initial pages of this report describe the more commonly accepted phase change materials and systems, present a taxonomy which is applicable to building construction, and describe the interface between the various model codes and the more advanced phase change system configurations. The report continues with an analysis of the model codes with a specific orientation to phase change thermal energy storage systems. The analysis is structured according to building, mechanical, and plumbing issues with topics relevant to phase change systems identified and specific code provisions applicable to each topic listed. To facilitate use by code officials in evaluating a system for compliance with a specific document, the appendix cross references relevant topics according to individual model code requirements.