Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage: Advances and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The ever-increasing use of renewable energies in recent decades, carried out to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and the carbon footprints of energy systems, has encouraged the study and development of thermal energy storage (TES) systems.  TES systems improve the hourly availability of energy and resolve source intermittency, preserving energy that would otherwise go to waste as both sensible and latent heat. This energy is then used when needed, such as during peak periods, extending the capacities of both power plants and most direct cooling or heating facilities. Among TES systems, those that use phase changing materials (PCM)  are very scientifically and technologically relevant due to their advantages and potential. Due to their high latent heat, they allow considerable storage per unit of mass and, moreover, release them at a constant temperature. Such systems are, therefore, much more compact than those using sensible heat. Scientific research on this topic is leading to notable progress through improving techniques, such as their combination with metal foams and nanoparticles, the search for new materials, the geometric optimization of exchange surfaces, and the optimized management of storage.

This Special Issue will present and disseminate the most recent advances related to the use of PCM in TES technologies.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Advanced TES technologies;
• Advanced PCM;
• Optimized management of PCM-TES;
• Enhancement of PCM-TES by metal foams;
• Enhancement of PCM-TES by nanoparticles.

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Langella
Dr. Abolfazl Nematpourkeshteli
Prof. Dr. Nicola Bianco
Dr. Marcello Iasiello
Guest Editors

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