Testing the Phase Change Energy Storage System

Are phase change materials suitable for thermal energy storage?

Phase change materials (PCMs) having a large latent heat during solid-liquid phase transition are promising for thermal energy storage applications. However, the relatively low thermal conductivity of the majority of promising PCMs (<10 W/ (m ⋅ K)) limits the power density and overall storage efficiency.

Are phase change materials suitable for heating & cooling applications?

The research, design, and development (RD&D) for phase change materials have attracted great interest for both heating and cooling applications due to their considerable environmental-friendly nature and capability of storing a large amount of thermal energy in small volumes as widely studied through experiments [7, 8].

How does thermal stability test affect storage capacity?

The thermal stability test was conducted at different stages i.e. 40, 410, 700, and 910. After the 910 thermal test, there was a significant change in the storage capacity of the materials. The observed decrease in storage capacity was -31.9%, -17.8%, -17.1%, and -37.2% respectively for SA, PA, MA, and LA.

What are the non-equilibrium properties of phase change materials?

Among the various non-equilibrium properties relevant to phase change materials, thermal conductivity and supercooling are the most important. Thermal conductivity determines the thermal energy charge/discharge rate or the power output, in addition to the storage system architecture and boundary conditions.

How can we predict supercooling performance of phase change materials?

To predict the supercooling performance of phase change materials, we have developed a statistical framework 65 that bridges lab-scale characterization with large-scale performance.

Are phase change materials suitable for thermal comfort?

They concluded that to suit thermal comfort requirements, the selected core materials (shown in Table 6) are quite satisfactory for most of the textile products as well as clothing. As selected phase change materials are non-corrosive, non-toxic, have no unpleasant odor easily available, and are chemically inert.