Preparing and Studying of Phase Change Energy Storage Materials

The thermal energy storage phase change material used for building has been prepared with a few of fatty acids based on the principle of binary low eutectic point. The thermal behaviors such as phase transition temperature and enthalpy of compound energy storage material are researched through differential scanning calorimeter(DSC) and scanning electron microscope(SEM) . The results show that the thermal energy storage phase change composite material can be used in the wall panels well as its higher latent heat.

Microencapsulation of stearic acid with polymethylmethacrylate using iron(Ⅲ) chloride as photo-initiator for thermal energy storage

Aiming to identify the validity of fabricating microencapsulated phase change material(PCM) with polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) by ultraviolet curing emulsion polymerization method using iron(III) chloride as photoinitiator,SA/PMMA microcapsules were prepared and various techniques were employed to determine the ignition mechanism,structural characteristics and thermal properties of the composite.The results shown that the microcapsules containing SA with maximum percentage of 52.20 wt% formed by radical mechanism and only physical interactions existed in the components both in the prepared process and subsequent use.The phase change temperatures and latent heats of the microencapsulated SA were measured as 55.3 °C and 102.1 J·g^(-1) for melting,and 48.8 °C and 102.8 J·g^(-1) for freezing,respectively.Thermal gravimetric analysis revealed that SA/PMMA has good thermal durability in working temperature range.The results of accelerated thermal cycling test are all shown that the SA/PMMA have excellent thermal reliability and chemical stability although they were subjected 1000 melting/freezing cycles.In summary,the comparable thermal storage ability and good thermal reliability facilitated SA/PMMA to be considered as a viable candidate for thermal energy storage.The successful fabrication of SA/PMMA capsules indicates that ferric chloride is a prominent candidate for synthesizing PMMA containing PCM composite.

A one-step method for producing microencapsulated phase change materials

This short communication reports our recent work on the synthesis and characterisation ofmicrocapsules of phase change materials using silica as the shell material through a one-step method. The method uses no surfactants or dispersants for stabilising the capsules. The results show that the one-step method allows the tuning of the size and polydispersity of the capsules, and the use of different core materials. Analyses of the capsules show that they contain about 65% phase change materials. The results also suggest no need for a stabilising agent due to self-stabilisation by the amine groups. Further work is underway to investigate the mechanical and thermal properties of the microcapsules and the scale-up of the method.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes added to Na_2CO_3/MgO composites for thermal energy storage

Na2CO3/MgO composites with added multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWCNTs） were prepared and tested as phase change materials （PCMs） for thermal energy storage. Na2CO3/MgO composite PCMs were prepared and their chemical compatibility and thermal stability were studied. MWCNTs introduced with Na2CO3/MgO composite PCMs were also investigated and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） characterization was used to demonstrate the uniform dispersion of MWCNTs in Na2CO3/MgO composite PCMs. The composites with added MWCNTs still display good thermal stability with mass losses lower than 5%. Introducing MWCNTs into composite Na2CO3/MgO PCMs by material formation/calcination signifi.cantly enhances the thermal conductivity of the composite PCMs. The thermal conductivity of the composite PCMs was found to increase with an increase in the weight fraction of the added MWCNTs and an increase in the testing temperature. This study may present a promising way to prepare high temperature phase change materials with superior properties such as improved thermal stability.

Carbonate-salt-based composite materials for medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage

This paper discusses composite materials based on inorganic salts for medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage application. The composites consist of a phase change material （PCM）, a ceramic material, and a high thermal conductivity material. The ceramic material forms a microstructural skeleton for encapsulation of the PCM and structural stability of the composites; the high thermal conductivity material enhances the overall thermal conductivity of the composites. Using a eutectic salt of lithium and sodium carbonates as the PCM, magnesium oxide as the ceramic skeleton, and either graphite flakes or carbon nanotubes as the thermal conductivity enhancer, we produced composites with good physical and chemical stability and high thermal conductivity. We found that the wettability of the molten salt on the ceramic and carbon materials significantly affects the microstructure of the composites.

Performance of a collector-storage solar air heating system for building mechanical ventilation preheating in the cold area

The application of solar thermal energy to preheat cold fresh air for mechanical ventilation could save a lot of energy and ensure the stable operation of the ventilation system.In this paper,a kind of collector-storage solar air heating system(CSSAHS),in which the thermal storage unit(TSU)is characterized by a dual S-channel for heat transfer,is proposed and the mathematical model for the integrated system was established.The model including the TSU,solar air collector,heat recovery device,and the fan was verified by an experimental study set up in a typical cold city in China.The model has been verified by experiments.The simulation results demonstrate that fresh air is the most important factor affecting storage/release efficiency.The increasing rate of heat release efficiency in the range of fresh air temperature-6-18°C is about 1.58%/°C.The solar heat collector area and the size of the TSU suitable for representative cities in cold regions are optimized based on multi-condition simulation analysis.The CSSAHS can preheat fresh air for 5 h after heat storage and the release efficiency is between 52 and 74%.Compared with other systems,the energy-saving rate of the CSSAHS is 26.5-33.3%in cold winter,and the heat supply ratio of the TSU is 24.4-35.1%.

Finite time thermodynamics analysis and research of pulsating heat pipe cold storage device

Phase change energy storage technology can effectively solve the energy mismatch in space and time.There are many disadvantages of phase change materials(PCMs),such as high supercooling,phase separation and poor heat transfer performance.As a new type of heat exchange structure,pulsating heat pipe has the advantages of simple structure,high heat transfer coefficient and good economic behavior.The system efficiency can be greatly improved by using pulsating heat pipe combined with cold storage technology.A set of pulsating heat pipe type cold storage device is developed,the finite time thermodynamic analysis is carried out,and the correlation between heat pipe efficiency and power is established.The three-dimensional physical model of pulsating heat pipe is simulated and verified by experiments.The experimental results show that in the cold storage stage,with the increase of the filling rate,the greater the pressure is,the better the heat transfer effect is;in the cold release stage,with the decrease of the filling rate,the smaller the pressure is,the better the heat transfer effect is.