Modeling, optimization and comparison of an ice thermal energy storage and a phase change material system for air-conditioning applications

In this research, an ice thermal energy storage (ITES) and a phase change material (PCM) system are coupled to an air-conditioning system as a full cooling load storage system. The system is modeled and examined from exergy, economic and environmental point of views. a multi-objective optimization algorithms, based on genetic algorithm, is applied to achieve the optimal decision parameters which go to the optimal objective functions including exergy efficiency and total cost rate. The optimum point from pareto frontier is found by using TOPSIS decision making method. Finally, the system is compared with the conventional system from electricity consumption, CO2 emission value and payback period aspects. The results indicate that the electricity consumption decrements relative to the conventional system are 4.59% and 7.58% for ITES and PCM system respectively as well as the annual CO2 production of PCM and ITES system is 27.2% and 17.8% lower than the conventional system respectively.