Luisa F. Cabeza

Review on thermal energy storage with phase change: materials, heat transfer analysis and applications

Abstract Thermal energy storage in general, and phase change materials (PCMs) in particular, have been a main topic in research for the last 20 years, but although the information is quantitatively enormous, it is also spread widely in the literature, and difficult to find. In this work, a review has been carried out of the history of thermal energy storage with solid–liquid phase change. Three aspects have been the focus of this review: materials, heat transfer and applications. The paper contains listed over 150 materials used in research as PCMs, and about 45 commercially available PCMs. The paper lists over 230 references.

Heat transfer enhancement in water when used as PCM in thermal energy storage

Efficient and reliable storage systems for thermal energy are an important requirement in many applications where heat demand and supply or availability do not coincide. Heat and cold stores can basically be divided in two groups. In sensible heat stores the temperature of the storage material is increased significantly. Latent heat stores, on the contrary, use a storage material that undergoes a phase change (PCM) and a small temperature rise is sufficient to store heat or cold. The major advantages of the phase change stores are their large heat storage capacity and their isothermal behavior during the charging and discharging process. However, while unloading a latent heat storage, the solid–liquid interface moves away from the heat transfer surface and the heat flux decreases due to the increasing thermal resistance of the growing layer of the molten/solidified medium. This effect can be reduced using techniques to increase heat transfer. In this paper, three methods to enhance the heat transfer in a cold storage working with water/ice as PCM are compared: addition of stainless steel pieces, copper pieces (both have been proposed before) and a new PCM-graphite composite material. The PCM-graphite composite material showed an increase in heat flux bigger than with any of the other techniques.

PCM-module to improve hot water heat stores with stratification

Hot water heat stores with stratification are a common technology used in solar energy systems and reuse of waste heat. Adding a PCM module at the top of the water tank would give the system higher storage density, and compensate heat loss in the top layer. The work presented here includes experimental results and numerical simulation of the system using an explicit finite-difference method. Experiments and simulations were carried out using different cylindrical PCM modules. With only 1/16 of the volume of the store being PCM, 3/16 of water at the top of the store was held warm for 50% to 200% longer and the average energy density was increased by 20% to 45%. Furthermore, these 3/16 of water were reheated by the heat from the module after being cooled down in only 20 min.

Determination of enthalpy-temperature curves of phase change materials with the temperature-history method: improvement to temperature dependent properties

The temperature-history method, proposed by Yinping et al, is a simple and economic way to determine the main thermophysical properties of materials used in thermal energy storage based on solid–liquid phase change. It is based on comparing the temperature history of a phase-change material sample and a sample of a well known material upon cooling down. In this paper we describe a further developed evaluation procedure to determine cp and h as temperature dependent values which was not the case in Yinpings method, based on the same experimental procedure. Given the suitability of these properties to calculate thermal energy storage using these materials, the method is proposed to present the results obtained in the form of enthalpy–temperature curves. A discussion about the errors produced by this method and an experimental improvement are proposed too.

Thermal performance of sodium acetate trihydrate thickened with different materials as phase change energy storage material

The use of phase change materials (PCMs) in energy storage has the advantage of high energy density and isothermal operation. Although the use of only non-segregating PCMs is a good commercial approach, some desirable PCM melting points do not seem attainable with non-segregating salt hydrates at a reasonable price. The addition of gellants and thickeners can avoid segregation of these materials. In this paper, sodium acetate trihydrate is successfully thickened with bentonite and starch. Cellulose gives an even better thickened PCM, but temperatures higher than 65 °C give phase separation. The mixtures would show a similar thermal behavior as the salt hydrate, with the same melting point and an enthalpy decrease between 20% and 35%, depending on the type and amount of thickening material used.

Experimental Study of PCM Inclusion in Different Building Envelopes

The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate experimentally that it is possible to improve the thermal comfort and reduce the energy consumption of a building without substantial increase in the weight of the construction materials with the inclusion of phase change materials (PCM). PCM are a suitable and promising technology for this application. This paper presents an experimental setup to test PCM with various typical insulation and construction materials in real conditions in Puigverd de Lleida (Lleida, Spain). Nine small house-sized cubicles were constructed: two with concrete, five with conventional brick, and two with alveolar brick. PCM was added in one cubicle of each typology. For each type of construction specific experiments were done. In all cubicles, free-floating temperature experiments were performed to determine the benefits of using PCM. A Trombe wall was added in both concrete cubicles and its influence was investigated. All brick cubicles were equipped with domestic heat pumps as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system; therefore, the energy consumption was registered, providing real information about the energy savings. Results were very good for the concrete cubicles, since temperature oscillation were reduced by up to 4°C through the use of PCM and also peak temperatures in the PCM cubicle were shifted in later hours. In the brick cubicles, the energy consumption of the HVAC system in summer was reduced by using PCM for set points higher than 20°C. During winter an insulation effect of the PCM is observed, keeping the temperatures of the cubicles warmer, especially during the cold hours of the day.

PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS AND THEIR BASIC PROPERTIES

This section is an introduction into materials that can be used as Phase Change Materials (PCM) for heat and cold storage and their basic properties. At the beginning, the basic thermodynamics of the use of PCM and general physical and technical requirements on perspective materials are presented. Following that, the most important classes of materials that have been investigated and typical examples of materials to be used as PCM are discussed. These materials usually do not fulfill all requirements. Therefore, solution strategies and ways to improve certain material properties have been developed. The section closes with an up to date market review of commercial PCM, PCM composites and encapsulation methods.

Review of Solar Thermal Storage Techniques and Associated Heat Transfer Technologies

Thermal energy storage is a key component of solar power plants if dispatchability is required. On the other hand, although different systems and many materials are available, only a few plants in the world have tested thermal energy storage systems. Here, all materials considered in literature and/or used in real plants are listed, the different systems are described and analyzed, and real experiences are compiled. The associated heat transfer technologies to support and improve these systems are described and analyzed.

Nearly Zero Energy Building Refurbishment

The recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on 19 May 2010. For new buildings, the recast fixes 2 ...

Carbonaceous residues from biomass gasification as catalysts for biodiesel production

Abstract Tars and alkali ashes from biomass gasification processes currently constitute one of the major problems in biomass valorisation, generating clogging of filters and issues related with the purity of syngas production. To date, these waste residues find no useful applications and they are generally disposed upon generation in the gasification process. A detailed analysis of these residues pointed out the presence of high quantities of Ca (>30 wt%). TG experiments indicated that a treatment under air at moderate temperatures (400–800°C) decomposed the majority of carbon species, while XRD indicated the presence of a crystalline CaO phase. CaO enriched valorized materials turned out to be good heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production from vegetable oils, providing moderate to good activities (50%–70% after 12 h) to fatty acid methyl esters in the transesterification of sunflower oil with methanol.