Analysis of the current status of phase change energy storage

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) .

What is a phase change energy storage system?

Other active phase change energy storage systems In modern greenhouses, heat storage is the most important function of phase change materials. The sensible thermal storage system (STES) is one of the earliest and most common thermal storage technologies integrated with greenhouses.

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.

Why is phase change energy storage a non-stationary process?

During the phase change process, the temperature of PCM remains stable, while the liquid phase rate will change continuously, which implies that phase change energy storage is a non-stationary process. Additionally, the heat storage/release of the phase change energy storage process proceeds in a very short time.

Do phase change materials save energy?

The amount of energy saved by each type of phase change material is different. Adding phase change materials to the greenhouse will result in a significant drop in gas consumption during the cold season, reducing gas energy by as much as 1348 kWh per year.