DOI: https://doi.org/10.61435/ijred.2026.61348
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Radiator-type solar heating system with phase change material for residential thermal comfort

1Department of Mathematics and Physics, Faculty of Mining, Geology, and Civil Engineering, National University of San Cristóbal de Huamanga, Peru

2Software Engineering Department, Systems Engineering and Computer Science, National University of San Marcos, Peru

Received: 5 May 2025; Revised: 17 Oct 2025; Accepted: 28 Nov 2025; Available online: 18 Dec 2025; Published: 1 Jan 2026.
Editor(s): H Hadiyanto
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Centre of Biomass and Renewable Energy (CBIORE)
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

This paper presents the design, construction, and experimental thermal evaluation of a modular solar heating system that integrates heat collection, storage, and emission into a single compact unit. The prototype consists of a flat-plate solar air collector directly coupled to a radiator-type thermal storage module. The central innovation lies in the use of paraffin as a phase change material (PCM), encapsulated in twelve finned aluminum tubes. This configuration enables the storage unit to function simultaneously as a passive heat exchanger, ensuring a uniform and sustained release of the accumulated energy. Experimental results, obtained under a solar irradiance of 950 W/m², showed that the air temperature at the collector outlet exceeded 70 °C. During the discharge phase, the indoor ambient temperature remained within the thermal comfort range (20.5 °C–23.6 °C) for up to six hours, maintaining a 3–4 °C temperature difference relative to the outdoor environment. The latent heat storage capacity of the PCM effectively mitigated indoor temperature fluctuations, contributing to stable comfort conditions. In conclusion, the proposed system represents a significant innovation in passive solar energy technology, integrating the functions of collector, accumulator, and radiator into a low-cost, easily replicable modular device. Its constructive simplicity and thermal efficiency position it as a viable and sustainable solution for residential heating in cold climates and rural or hard-to-reach areas with limited energy access.

Keywords: Solar collector; phase change material; thermal comfort

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Section: Original Research Article
Language : EN
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