Advanced Phase Change Materials for Thermal Storage

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2020) | Viewed by 19528

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Special Issue Editor

Thermal Storage and Solar Fuels Unit, CIEMAT-PSA, Av. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: renewable energies; materials and systems for thermal energy storage

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) is a research topic that has been attracting much attention in recent decades. This is mainly because the potential use of PCMs as latent storage media not only covers renewable energy and building efficiency applications but also temperature control of electronic devices, batteries, and even clothes.

Although a number of companies worldwide are producing a variety of PCMs, advanced materials with improved properties and new latent storage concepts are required to better meet the specific requirements of the different applications. Moreover, the development of common validation procedures for PCMs is a improtant issue that should be addressed in order to achieve commercial deployment and implementation of these kinds of materials in latent storage systems. 

Dr. Rocío Bayón
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • New PCM formulations and concepts
  • Validation procedures and PCM assessment
  • Implementation and testing in storage prototypes
  • Innovative approaches for latent storage modules
  • PCM characterization and simulation
  • Simulation of novel storage modules
  • PCM applications

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 196 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue “Advanced Phase Change Materials for Thermal Storage”
by Rocío Bayón
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(4), 1390; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041390 - 04 Feb 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1070
Abstract
Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) is a research topic that has attracted much attention in recent decades [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Phase Change Materials for Thermal Storage)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 4833 KiB  
Article
Compact Model of Latent Heat Thermal Storage for Its Integration in Multi-Energy Systems
by Alessandro Colangelo, Elisa Guelpa, Andrea Lanzini, Giulia Mancò and Vittorio Verda
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(24), 8970; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10248970 - 16 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2119
Abstract
Nowadays, flexibility through energy storage constitutes a key feature for the optimal management of energy systems. Concerning thermal energy, Latent Heat Thermal Storage (LHTS) units are characterized by a significantly higher energy density with respect to sensible storage systems. For this reason, they [...] Read more.
Nowadays, flexibility through energy storage constitutes a key feature for the optimal management of energy systems. Concerning thermal energy, Latent Heat Thermal Storage (LHTS) units are characterized by a significantly higher energy density with respect to sensible storage systems. For this reason, they represent an interesting solution where limited space is available. Nevertheless, their market development is limited by engineering issues and, most importantly, by scarce knowledge about LHTS integration in existing energy systems. This study presents a new modeling approach to quickly characterize the dynamic behavior of an LHTS unit. The thermal power released or absorbed by a LHTS module is expressed only as a function of the current and the initial state of charge. The proposed model allows simulating even partial charge and discharge processes. Results are fairly accurate when compared to a 2D finite volume model, although the computational effort is considerably lower. Summarizing, the proposed model could be used to investigate optimal LHTS control strategies at the system level. In this paper, two relevant case studies are presented: (a) the reduction of the morning thermal power peak in District Heating systems; and (b) the optimal energy supply schedule in multi-energy systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Phase Change Materials for Thermal Storage)
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30 pages, 10679 KiB  
Article
Experimental Devices to Investigate the Long-Term Stability of Phase Change Materials under Application Conditions
by Christoph Rathgeber, Stefan Hiebler, Rocío Bayón, Luisa F. Cabeza, Gabriel Zsembinszki, Gerald Englmair, Mark Dannemand, Gonzalo Diarce, Oliver Fellmann, Rebecca Ravotti, Dominic Groulx, Ali C. Kheirabadi, Stefan Gschwander, Stephan Höhlein, Andreas König-Haagen, Noé Beaupere and Laurent Zalewski
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(22), 7968; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10227968 - 10 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5444
Abstract
An important prerequisite to select a reliable phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage applications is to test it under application conditions. In the case of solid–liquid PCM, a large amount of thermal energy can be stored and released in a small [...] Read more.
An important prerequisite to select a reliable phase change material (PCM) for thermal energy storage applications is to test it under application conditions. In the case of solid–liquid PCM, a large amount of thermal energy can be stored and released in a small temperature range around the solid–liquid phase transition. Therefore, to test the long-term stability of solid–liquid PCM, they are subjected to melting and solidification processes taking into account the conditions of the intended application. In this work, 18 experimental devices to investigate the long-term stability of PCM are presented. The experiments can be divided into thermal cycling stability tests, tests on PCM with stable supercooling, and tests on the stability of phase change slurries (PCS). In addition to these experiments, appropriate methods to investigate a possible degradation of the PCM are introduced. Considering the diversity of the investigated devices and the wide range of experimental parameters, further work toward a standardization of PCM stability testing is recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Phase Change Materials for Thermal Storage)
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15 pages, 2690 KiB  
Article
Experimental Analysis on the Thermal Management of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Phase Change Materials
by Mingyi Chen, Siyu Zhang, Guoyang Wang, Jingwen Weng, Dongxu Ouyang, Xiangyang Wu, Luyao Zhao and Jian Wang
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(20), 7354; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10207354 - 21 Oct 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2569
Abstract
Temperature is an important factor affecting the working efficiency and service life of lithium-ion battery (LIB). This study carried out the experiments on the thermal performances of Sanyo ternary and Sony LiFePO4 batteries under different working conditions including extreme conditions, natural convection [...] Read more.
Temperature is an important factor affecting the working efficiency and service life of lithium-ion battery (LIB). This study carried out the experiments on the thermal performances of Sanyo ternary and Sony LiFePO4 batteries under different working conditions including extreme conditions, natural convection cooling and phase change material (PCM) cooling. The results showed that PCM could absorb some heat during the charging and discharging process, effectively reduce the temperature and keep the capacity stable. The average highest temperature of Sanyo LIB under PCM cooling was about 54.4 °C and decreased about 12.3 °C compared with natural convection in the 2 C charging and discharging cycles. It was found that the addition of heat dissipation fins could reduce the surface temperature, but the effect was not obvious. In addition, the charge and discharge cycles of the two kinds of LIBs were compared at the discharge rates of 1 C and 2 C. Compared with natural convection cooling, the highest temperature of Sanyo LIB with PCM cooling decreased about 4.7 °C and 12.8 °C for 1 C and 2 C discharging respectively, and the temperature of Sony LIB highest decreased about 1.1 °C and 2 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Phase Change Materials for Thermal Storage)
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23 pages, 9111 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Heat Transfer Enhancement Techniques in Latent Heat Storage
by William Delgado-Diaz, Anastasia Stamatiou, Simon Maranda, Remo Waser and Jörg Worlitschek
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(16), 5519; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165519 - 10 Aug 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5165
Abstract
Latent Heat Energy Storage (LHES) using Phase Change Materials (PCM) is considered a promising Thermal Energy Storage (TES) approach as it can allow for high levels of compactness, and execution of the charging and discharging processes at defined, constant temperature levels. These inherent [...] Read more.
Latent Heat Energy Storage (LHES) using Phase Change Materials (PCM) is considered a promising Thermal Energy Storage (TES) approach as it can allow for high levels of compactness, and execution of the charging and discharging processes at defined, constant temperature levels. These inherent characteristics make LHES particularly attractive for applications that profit from high energy density or precise temperature control. Many novel, promising heat exchanger designs and concepts have emerged as a way to circumvent heat transfer limitations of LHES. However, the extensive range of experimental conditions used to characterize these technologies in literature make it difficult to directly compare them as solutions for high thermal power applications. A methodology is presented that aims to enable the comparison of LHES designs with respect to their compactness and heat transfer performance even when largely disparate experimental data are available in literature. Thus, a pair of key performance indicators (KPI), ΦPCM representing the compactness degree and NHTPC, the normalized heat transfer performance coefficient, are defined, which are minimally influenced by the utilized experimental conditions. The evaluation procedure is presented and applied on various LHES designs. The most promising designs are identified and discussed. The proposed evaluation method is expected to open new paths in the community of LHES research by allowing the leveled-ground contrast of technologies among different studies, and facilitating the evaluation and selection of the most suitable design for a specific application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Phase Change Materials for Thermal Storage)
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14 pages, 2983 KiB  
Article
Selection of the Appropriate Phase Change Material for Two Innovative Compact Energy Storage Systems in Residential Buildings
by Gabriel Zsembinszki, Angel G. Fernández and Luisa F. Cabeza
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2116; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10062116 - 20 Mar 2020
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 2589
Abstract
The implementation of thermal energy storage systems using phase change materials to support the integration of renewable energies is a key element that allows reducing the energy consumption in buildings by increasing self-consumption and system efficiency. The selection of the most suitable phase [...] Read more.
The implementation of thermal energy storage systems using phase change materials to support the integration of renewable energies is a key element that allows reducing the energy consumption in buildings by increasing self-consumption and system efficiency. The selection of the most suitable phase change material is an important part of the successful implementation of the thermal energy storage system. The aim of this paper is to present the methodology used to assess the suitability of potential phase change materials to be used in two innovative energy storage systems, one of them being mainly intended to provide cooling, while the other provides heating and domestic hot water to residential buildings. The selection methodology relies on a qualitative decision matrix, which uses some common features of phase change materials to assign an overall score to each material that should allow comparing the different options. Experimental characterization of the best candidates was also performed to help in making a final decision. The results indicate some of the most suitable candidates for both systems, with RT4 being the most promising commercial phase change material for the system designed to provide cooling, while for the system designed to provide heating and domestic hot water, the most promising candidate is RT64HC, another commercial product. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Phase Change Materials for Thermal Storage)
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