This article investigates the possibility to enhance the use of latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) as an energy retrofit measure by night ventilation strategies. For this scope, phase change materials (PCMs) are integrated into wall and ceiling surfaces of high-rise residential buildings with highly glazed facades that experience high indoor diurnal temperatures. In particular, this article investigates the effect of night ventilation on the performance of the PCMs, namely, the daily discharge of the thermal energy stored by PCMs. Following previous experimental tests that have shown the efficacy of LHTES in temperate climates, a system comprising two PCM layers with melting temperatures selected for a year-around LHTES was considered. To quantify the effectiveness of different night ventilation strategies to enhance the potential of this composite PCM system, simulations in EnergyPlusTM were performed. The ventilation flow rate, set point temperature, and operation period were the main tested parameters. The performance of the PCMs in relation to the variables was evaluated based on indoor operative temperature and cooling energy use variations in Toronto and New York in the summer. The solidification of the PCMs was analyzed based on the amount of night ventilation needed in each climate condition. The results quantify the positive impact of combining PCMs with night ventilation on cooling energy reductions and operative temperature regulation of the following days. In particular, the results indicate higher benefits obtainable with PCMs coupled with night ventilation in the context of Toronto, since this city experiences higher daily temperature fluctuations. The impact of night ventilation design variables on the solidification rate of the PCMs varied based on each parameter leading to different compromises based on the PCM and climate characteristics.

中文翻译：

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评估夜间通风对高层住宅建筑 PCM 性能的影响

本文研究了通过夜间通风策略加强使用潜热热能储存 (LHTES) 作为能源改造措施的可能性。在此范围内，相变材料 (PCM) 被集成到高层住宅建筑的墙壁和天花板表面，这些建筑的外墙高度玻璃化，室内昼夜温度高。特别是，本文研究了夜间通风对 PCM 性能的影响，即 PCM 储存的热能的日常排放。继之前的实验测试表明 LHTES 在温带气候中的功效之后，考虑了一个由两个 PCM 层组成的系统，该系统具有为全年 LHTES 选择的熔化温度。为了量化不同夜间通风策略的有效性，以增强这种复合 PCM 系统的潜力，我们在 EnergyPlusTM 中进行了模拟。通风流量、设定点温度和运行时间是主要的测试参数。根据多伦多和纽约夏季的室内操作温度和制冷能源使用变化，评估了与变量相关的 PCM 的性能。根据每种气候条件下所需的夜间通风量来分析 PCM 的固化。结果量化了将 PCM 与夜间通风相结合对冷却能量减少和接下来几天的操作温度调节的积极影响。特别是，结果表明，在多伦多的环境中，PCMs 加上夜间通风可以获得更高的好处，因为这个城市的日常温度波动更大。夜间通风设计变量对 PCM 固化速率的影响因每个参数而异，导致基于 PCM 和气候特征的不同折衷。