Images of phase change energy storage materials

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.

What are phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage applications?

Fig. 1. Bibliometric analysis of (a) journal publications and (b) the patents, related to PCMs for thermal energy storage applications. The materials used for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) are called Phase Change Materials (PCMs) .

Can Phase Change Materials (PCMs) absorb heat?

PCMs can absorb and/or release a remarkable amount of latent heat as a result of a phase transition when the phase transition temperature is within a specified temperature range. Currently, heat accumulators based on phase transitions are most widely used.

What are the selection criteria for thermal energy storage applications?

In particular, the melting point, thermal energy storage density and thermal conductivity of the organic, inorganic and eutectic phase change materials are the major selection criteria for various thermal energy storage applications with a wider operating temperature range.

How much research has been done on phase change materials?

A thorough literature survey on the phase change materials for TES using Web of Science led to more than 4300 research publications on the fundamental science/chemistry of the materials, components, systems, applications, developments and so on, during the past 25 years.

Are photoisomerization energy storage and phase change latent heat storage in cis isomers?

Consequently, the combined photoisomerization energy storage and phase change latent heat storage in single-component cis isomers are inaccessible. Increasing the thermal half-lives of metastable isomers has been a long-standing challenge for energy storage applications of the photoswitchable materials. Figure 2.