Enhancing building roof insulation: A comparative examination of PCM
layers integrated with and without nanoparticles
Hayder M. Abbas a,* , Abd Alsatar Hussein b

A B S T R A C T
This paper evaluates the thermal insulation potential of a roof embedded with phase-change materials (PCM) and
nano-enhanced PCM (NEPCM) in Iraq’s hot climate. The primary goal is to investigate the effectiveness of these
materials in reducing indoor heat transfer, thereby enhancing energy efficiency, using a numerical model based
on finite volume and enthalpy methods in a three-dimensional spatial domain. The study compares the performance
of roofs equipped with pure PCM and NEPCM layers. Results indicate that the PCM layer significantly
lowers peak indoor surface temperatures and delays peak heat transfer, achieving a 2.4 ◦C temperature reduction
with pure PCM and a 1.1 ◦C reduction with NEPCM. Furthermore, using pure PCM extends the time delay of peak
load by 2 h, while NEPCM reduces it to 0.5 h, and the increasing nanoparticle ratio in PCM leads to an increase in
the inner surface temperature of the roof. Findings also suggest optimizing the PCM layer’s thickness and
adjusting its melting temperature to around 37 ◦C enhance its thermal insulation capabilities.