Phase change materials (PCMs) have been considered suitable energy materials to address the mismatch between energy demand and supply to improve the utilization efficiency of the latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system. However, the relatively low thermal conductivity of PCMs leads to an undesirable thermal response rate of the LHTES system. Among the common methods to improve the heat transfer performance of PCMs, the employment of metal foam (MF) has attracted growing attention as an effective strategy. Plenty of studies have investigated thoroughly the vital parameters of MF impacting the phase change process, while a corresponding discussion of the situations and limitations of the known technologies is still lacking. In this review, a total of 476 literature derived since 2000 are visualized based on scientometric analysis to exhibit the attractive spotlights and new trends. The impact factors on the heat transfer performance of PCMs embedded with MF (PCMs/MF) are presented in-depth. Besides, the developments of hybrid heat transfer enhancement techniques based on the MF are overviewed comprehensively. Combined with the thermal characteristics of typical applications, systematic information on PCMs/MF in these applications is summarized, and the suitability of these technologies is discussed. Finally, ongoing challenges of PCMs/MF are identified, and developmental tendencies and opportunities for further research work to address them are discussed. This review provides helpful information to facilitate the development of innovative and feasible PCMs/MF in the LHTES system and encourage and attract researchers and scholars to get some advancement in their future work. 

Heat transfer enhancement of phase change materials embedded with metal foam for thermal energy storage: A review

Preparation and rheological characterization of phenolic/glass prepregs

Regulation mechanism of magnetic field on non-Newtonian melting and energy storage performance of metal foam composite nano-enhanced phase change materials

Evaluation and comparison of thermal performance of latent heat storage units with shell-and-tube, rectangular, and cylindrical configurations

In recent years, phase change materials (PCM) have become increasingly popular for energy applications due to their unique properties. However, the low thermal conductivity of PCM during phase change can seriously hinder its wide application, so it is crucial to improve the thermal conductivity of PCM. In this paper, the thermal conductivity mechanism of PCM (basic thermal conductivity, phonon thermal conductivity and channel thermal conductivity) and thermal conductivity prediction models (nano-type and foam-metal type) are systematically discussed from a microscopic perspective, providing a theoretical basis and a validation model for the study of thermal conductivity of PCM. In addition, we review three specific approaches to improve PCM from a macroscopic perspective: addition of nanoparticles, embedded foam structures, and addition of external fields. Finally, it is concluded that the specific approaches to improve the thermal conductivity of PCM all proceed to enhance the different thermal conductivity mechanisms of PCM, and future research directions to improve the thermal conductivity of PCM are proposed in response to this conclusion. 

Progress of research on phase change energy storage materials in their thermal conductivity

Numerical investigation on melting behaviour of phase change materials/metal foam composites under hypergravity conditions

The increased interest in polymer matrix composites is partly due to their vast application in aeronautical and aerospace engineering. The preparation of prepreg is frequently the first move in the...

Chen Yan Ding

Papers

Numerical investigation on melting behaviour of phase change materials/metal foam composites under hypergravity conditions

E-glass/Phenolic Prepreg Processing by Solvent Impregnation