The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy and has the advantages of high-energy storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process. PCMs have been widely used in latent heat thermal-storage systems for heat pumps, solar engineering, and spacecraft thermal control applications. The uses of PCMs for heating and cooling applications for buildings have been investigated within the past decade. There are large numbers of PCMs that melt and solidify at a wide range of temperatures, making them attractive in a number of applications. This paper also summarizes the investigation and analysis of the available thermal energy storage systems incorporating PCMs for use in different applications.

Review on thermal energy storage with phase change materials and applications

Review on thermal energy storage with phase change: materials, heat transfer analysis and applications

The use of a latent heat storage system using Phase Change Materials (PCM) is an effective way of storing thermal energy (solar energy, off-peak electricity, industrial waste heat) and has the advantages of high storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process. It has been demonstrated that, for the development of a latent heat storage system, choice of the PCM plays an important role in addition to heat transfer mechanism. The information on the latent heat storage materials and systems is enormous and published widely in the literatures. In this paper, we make an effort to gather the information from the previous works on PCMs and latent heat storage systems. This review will help to find a suitable PCM for various purposes a suitable heat exchanger with ways to enhance the heat transfer, and it will also help to provide a variety of designs to store the heat using PCMs for different applications, i.e. space heating & cooling, solar cooking, greenhouses, solar water heating and waste heat recovery systems. Measurement techniques of thermophysical properties, studies on thermal cycles for long term stability, corrosion of the PCMs and enhancement of heat transfer in PCM are discussed. New PCM innovations are also included for the awareness of new applications. This paper contains a list of about 250 PCMs and more than 250 references.

Latent Heat Storage Materials and Systems: A Review

Experimental study of using PCM in brick constructive solutions for passive cooling

Latent heat energy storage system is one of the promising solutions for efficient way of storing excess thermal energy during low consumption periods. One of the challenges for latent heat storage systems is the proper selection of the phase change materials (PCMs) for the targeted applications. As compared to organic PCMs, inorganic PCMs have some drawbacks, such as corrosion potential and phase separation; however, there are available techniques to overcome or minimize these drawbacks. On the other hand, inorganic PCMs are found to have higher thermal conductivity and storage capacity over organic PCMs. As a result inorganic PCMs have a great potential in thermal energy storage field, especially in medium to high temperature applications where organic PCMs are not a viable option. In this study, a detailed review of research outcomes and recent technological advancements in the field of inorganic phase change materials is presented while focusing on providing solutions to the associated disadvantages of this class of PCMs. Long term stability, thermal cycling performance, and heat transfer enhancements are also discussed in the context of this review.

George A. Lane

Papers

Solar Heat Storage: Latent Heat Materials, Vol. I: Background and Scientific Principles