Numerical study on the thermal performance of a refrigerated container envelope provided by phase change materials (PCMs)

Integration of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) into refrigerated containers envelope is considered a potential way to minimize energy consumption and joined green house gasses emissions (CO₂) into the atmosphere. In order to evaluate the thermal effectiveness of this technology and for a broader assessment, the energy behavior of a traditional refrigerated container envelope provided in turn by nine different phase change materials has been numerically analyzed. Furthermore the results have been employed to select the most suitable phase change material on a representative case of study. The numerical results were then compared with the experimental values for validation of the numerical Finite Elements Method (FEM). The results showed that a phase change materials added layer reduces and delays the daily thermal load respect the traditional panel provided by only insulating materials.