Urban Phase-Change Thermal Infrastructure Systems for Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effects

Urban heat island effects arise when built environments absorb and retain solar heat, producing elevated temperatures compared to surrounding rural areas. These temperature increases contribute to infrastructure stress, pedestrian discomfort, and increased energy demand for cooling. This disclosure describes a distributed thermal infrastructure system designed to absorb, buffer, store, and redistribute thermal energy within urban surfaces. The system incorporates phase-change material (PCM) reservoirs, thermally conductive channel networks, and structural surface layers that together regulate heat accumulation in pavements, plazas, and pedestrian infrastructure. By absorbing excess thermal energy during peak temperatures and releasing or redistributing this energy during cooler periods, the system reduces surface temperature spikes and moderates urban thermal loads.