ThermaBoost Calculator
CoreTherma
Sales & Specification Tool
PCM Thermal Buffer — Sales Tool
PCM Thermal Buffer System
More hot water. Same water heater.
Toggle between Full Discharge and Continuous Recharge modes. Set the time between peaks to see how close-together demand events degrade Full Discharge output — and why a relay eliminates that degradation.
⚙️ PCM Energy Density: 100 BTU/lb latent heat
⚠️ System Loss: 15% applied
📐 PCM Density: ~7.5 lb/gal
System Parameters
PCM Volume30 gal
Heater Wattage4,500 W
Storage Tank Size
40 gal
Tankless
0 — Instant / Tankless120 gal
Cold Inlet Temp59 °F
Delivery Temp120 °F
Peak Events Per Day
Time Between Peaks
4.0 hrs
0.5 hrs (very close)12 hrs (spaced out)
Background Draw Between Peaks
0%
0% — no background use75% — heavy background
% of heater capacity consumed by dishwasher, laundry, hand-washing, etc. between peaks. Reduces effective PCM recharge rate.
📊 System Output
PCM Recharge Time
—
hours to full charge
Avg Per Peak
—
gallons (net)
Daily Total
—
gallons / day
🔋 Per-Peak PCM Charge Level
PCM Charge State at Each Peak Event
⚡ Energy Breakdown
| PCM Mass | — |
| Gross PCM Energy (100 BTU/lb) | — |
| 15% System Loss | — |
| Net PCM Energy (full charge) | — |
| Sensible Heat in Tank | — |
| Heater Power | — |
| kWh Stored in PCM (net) | — |
| BTU / gal at delivery ΔT | — |
📈 Output Comparison
Hot Water Output: Per Peak Event
View:
PCM system delivers —× more hot water per peak event vs. conventional heater
💡 Instant (tankless) heater mode: PCM provides all peak-event storage. Capacity driven entirely by PCM latent heat.
⚡ Continuous Recharge advantage: The relay keeps the PCM fully charged between every peak event, eliminating the degradation shown in Full Discharge mode when peaks are closely spaced. Each peak gets 100% PCM capacity, every time.
⚠️ 15% System Loss Applied. Accounts for heat exchanger inefficiency, thermal bridging, piping losses, and fluid mixing. All net figures are deliverable gallons at the set delivery temperature.
Full Discharge mode: PCM charge at each peak depends on time between peaks vs. recharge time. Real-world output may vary ±15%.