Latent heat storage (LHS) is considered as the most promising technique for thermal energy storage, due to its high energy storage density and nearly constant working temperature. However, the lower thermal conductivity of the phase change material (PCM) used in LHS system seriously weakens thermal energy charging and discharging rates. In order to improve the thermal performance of LHS system, a lot of research on performance enhancement have been carried out. This review paper will concern on the development of PCMs and performance enhancement methods for LHS system in the last decade. The available enhancement methods can be classified into three categories: using high thermal conductivity additives and porous media to enhance PCM thermal conductivity, using finned tubes and encapsulated PCMs to extend heat transfer surface, using multistage or cascaded LHS technique and thermodynamic optimization to improving the heat transfer uniformity. The comparative reviews on PCMs, corresponding performance enhancement methods and their characteristics are presented in present paper. That will help in selecting reliable PCMs and matching suitable performance enhancement method to achieve the best thermal performance for PCM based LHS system. In addition, the research gaps in performance enhancement techniques for LHS systems are also discussed and some recommendations for future research are proposed.

A review of phase change material and performance enhancement method for latent heat storage system

Phase change thermal energy storage (TES) is a promising technology due to the large heat capacity of phase change materials (PCM) during the phase change process and their potential thermal energy storage at nearly constant temperature. Although a considerable amount of research has been conducted on medium and low temperature PCMs in recent years, there has been a lack of a similar systematic and integrated study on high temperature PCMs and high temperature thermal energy storage processes. Analyzing the available literature, this review evaluates the selection principles of PCMs and introduces and compares the available popular material selection software options. The thermophysical property data of high temperature PCMs is comprehensively summarized, including high temperature molten salts and metal alloys. Several heat transfer and performance enhancement techniques are summarized and discussed as potential alternative methods to overcome poor thermal conductivity when using high temperature molten salt as the PCM. The common thermophysical property measurement methods used in literature are also summarized and compared. This review gives a broad overview of material selection, innovation and investigation of thermophysical properties for high temperature PCM development, and will be a helpful reference for the design of high temperature phase change TES systems.

Selection principles and thermophysical properties of high temperature phase change materials for thermal energy storage: A review

Perspective of concentrating solar power

Solidification enhancement of PCM in a triplex-tube thermal energy storage system with nanoparticles and fins

Preparation and thermal properties characterization of carbonate salt/carbon nanomaterial composite phase change material

Performance optimization of two-stage latent heat storage unit based on entransy theory

Effects of PCM arrangement and natural convection on charging and discharging performance of shell-and-tube LHS unit

Numerical study on effective thermal conductivities of plain woven C/SiC composites with considering pores in interlaced woven yarns

Effect of carbon nanomaterial on latent heat storage performance of carbonate salts in horizontal concentric tube

A modified heat transfer correlation for flow boiling in small channels based on the boundary layer theory

Y.K. Liu

Papers

Performance optimization of two-stage latent heat storage unit based on entransy theory

Effects of PCM arrangement and natural convection on charging and discharging performance of shell-and-tube LHS unit

Numerical study on effective thermal conductivities of plain woven C/SiC composites with considering pores in interlaced woven yarns

Effect of carbon nanomaterial on latent heat storage performance of carbonate salts in horizontal concentric tube

A modified heat transfer correlation for flow boiling in small channels based on the boundary layer theory