25-07-2014, 10:12 AM
Phase Changing Material in Solar Thermal Energy Storage
Introduction
Most systems have a disconnect
between supply and demand
Intermittent solar energy supply
can be maximized with a heat
storage system
Thermal energy can be
stored both as sensible
and latent heat
Continued efforts to find a phase changing material is currently underway
PCM Options
Inorganic
Glauber’s salt, calcium chloride hexahydrate, sodium thiosulfate penthydrate, sodium carbonate decahydrate
Benefits:
Low cost and readily available
High volumetric storage density
Relatively high thermal conductivity
Drawbacks:
Corrosive
Decomposition
Incongruent melting
Supercooling
Encapsulation
Prevents reactivity towards environment
Compatible with stainless steel, polypropylene, and polyolefin
Controls volume as phases change
Prevents large drops in heat transfer rates
Conclusion
Thermal energy storage is imperative to make solar energy more reliable and competitive
Further research in phase changing material can improve the efficiency of energy storage
Design of the system is also important in optimizing energy storage