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https://doi.org/10.4081/jae.2026.1936

Development of a “PCM-in-container” energy storage model component for a possible building energy evaluation in TRNSYS 18

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Published: 20 March 2026
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PCM component, TRNSYS 18, air temperature, energy storage, greenhouse

Authors

Qazeem Opeyemi Ogunlowo
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6595-8162
Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea, Republic of.
Timothy Denen Akpenpuun
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
Wook Ho Na
Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea, Republic of.
Misbaudeen Aderemi Adesanya
Future Urban and Energy Lab for Sustainability (FUEL-S), Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE), University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada.
Anis Rabiu
Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea, Republic of.
Adedayo Afeez Azeez
Department of Agricultural and Bioenvironmental Engineering, Federal College of Agriculture Ibadan, Nigeria.
Ayoade Oladele Atere
Department of Agricultural and Bioenvironmental Engineering, Federal College of Agriculture Ibadan, Nigeria.
Hyun-Woo Lee
Department of Agricultural Civil Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea, Republic of.
Sangik Lee
sangik@knu.ac.kr
Department of Agricultural Civil Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea, Republic of.

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) offer a promising pathway toward net-zero energy buildings by enhancing thermal energy efficiency. By absorbing and storing heat during the day and releasing it at night, PCMs can reduce reliance on active heating and cooling systems. While PCMs have been widely studied both experimentally and numerically, limited research exists on configurations where PCM containers are in direct contact with surrounding air. This study developed a novel “PCM-in-container” component in TRNSYS 18 to simulate energy gains from such direct interactions. The component was integrated with greenhouse and weather modules in TRNSYS and validated experimentally using three model greenhouses containing air, water, and Vaseline as PCM substances. Model performance was assessed using R-squared (R²), correlation coefficient (CC), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE). For water-based PCM, values of R² = 0.97, CC = 0.99, RMSE = 2.01°C, and MAE = 1.33°C were obtained, demonstrating strong model accuracy. The results showed that PCM-filled containers (e.g., structural or railing pipes) could increase nighttime greenhouse temperatures by up to 7°C. The developed component enables energy gain simulations and nighttime heating predictions, offering a valuable tool for greenhouse energy demand evaluation. Although the current model does not account for hysteresis, future work may incorporate this through modifications in the TRNSYS Fortran environment.

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Citations

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CRediT authorship contribution

QOO: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Writing - Original Draft, Investigation, Visualization. TDA: Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing - Review & Editing. WHN: Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Visualization. MAA: Investigation, Writing - Review & Editing. AR: Investigation, Writing - Review & Editing. AAA: Investigation, Writing - Review & Editing. AOA: Investigation, Writing - Review & Editing. HWL: Supervision, Resources, Funding acquisition. SL: Resources, Writing - Review & Editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition.

Supporting Agencies

This work was supported by the Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry (IPET) through Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Convergence Technologies Program for Educating Creative Global Leader, funded by Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) (717001-7). , This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Education [NRF-2019R1I1A3A01051739]., This work was carried out with the support of “Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development (Project No. RS-2025-02223042)” Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea

Data Availability Statement

The source code for the PCM component building and compilation can be found at https://github.com/users/cosmosopy/projects/1. Other data will be available on request.

Qazeem Opeyemi Ogunlowo, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu

Department of Agricultural and Bioenvironmental Engineering, Federal College of Agriculture Ibadan, Nigeria

How to Cite



“Development of a ‘PCM-in-container’ energy storage model component for a possible building energy evaluation in TRNSYS 18” (2026) Journal of Agricultural Engineering [Preprint]. doi:10.4081/jae.2026.1936.
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