Enhanced properties of stone coal-based composite phase change materials for thermal energy storage

Phase change materials (PCMs) can be incorporated with low-cost minerals to synthesize composites for thermal energy storage in building applications.Stone coal (SC) after vanadium extraction treatment shows potential for secondary utilization in composite preparation.We prepared SC-based composite PCMs with SC as a matrix,stearic acid (SA) as a PCM,and expanded graphite (EG) as an additive.The combined roasting and acid leaching treatment of raw SC was conducted to understand the effect of vanadium extraction on promoting loading capacity.Results showed that the combined treatment of roasting at 900℃ and leaching increased the SC loading of the composite by 6.2%by improving the specific surface area.The loading capacity and thermal conductivity of the composite obviously increased by 127%and 48.19%,respectively,due to the contribution of 3wt% EG.These data were supported by the high load of 66.69%and thermal conductivity of 0.59 W·m^(-1)·K-1of the designed composite.The obtained composite exhibited a phase change temperature of 52.17℃,melting latent heat of 121.5 J·g^(-1),and good chemical compatibility.The SC-based composite has prospects in building applications exploiting the secondary utilization of minerals.

Self‑Assembly of Binderless MXene Aerogel for Multiple‑Scenario and Responsive Phase Change Composites with Ultrahigh Thermal Energy Storage Density and Exceptional Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

The severe dependence of traditional phase change materials(PCMs)on the temperature-response and lattice deficiencies in versatility cannot satisfy demand for using such materials in complex application scenarios.Here,we introduced metal ions to induce the self-assembly of MXene nanosheets and achieve their ordered arrangement by combining suction filtration and rapid freezing.Subsequently,a series of MXene/K^(+)/paraffin wax(PW)phase change composites(PCCs)were obtained via vacuum impregnation in molten PW.The prepared MXene-based PCCs showed versatile applications from macroscale technologies,successfully transforming solar,electric,and magnetic energy into thermal energy stored as latent heat in the PCCs.Moreover,due to the absence of binder in the MXene-based aerogel,MK3@PW exhibits a prime solar-thermal conversion efficiency(98.4%).Notably,MK3@PW can further convert the collected heat energy into electric energy through thermoelectric equipment and realize favorable solar-thermal-electric conversion(producing 206 mV of voltage with light radiation intensity of 200 mw cm^(−2)).An excellent Joule heat performance(reaching 105℃with an input voltage of 2.5 V)and responsive magnetic-thermal conversion behavior(a charging time of 11.8 s can achieve a thermal insulation effect of 285 s)for contactless thermotherapy were also demonstrated by the MK3@PW.Specifically,as a result of the ordered arrangement of MXene nanosheet self-assembly induced by potassium ions,MK3@PW PCC exhibits a higher electromagnetic shielding efficiency value(57.7 dB)than pure MXene aerogel/PW PCC(29.8 dB)with the same MXene mass.This work presents an opportunity for the multi-scene response and practical application of PCMs that satisfy demand of next-generation multifunctional PCCs.

Scattered Co-anchored MoS_(2)synergistically boosting photothermal capture and storage of phase change materials

Pristine phase change materials(PCMs)suffer from inherent deficiencies of poor solar absorption and photothermal conversion.Herein,we proposed a strategy of co-incorporation of zero-dimensional(OD)metal nanoparticles and two-dimensional(2D)photothermal materials in PCMs for efficient capture and conversion of solar energy into thermal energy.Highly scattered Co-anchored MoS_(2)nanoflower cluster serving as photon and phonon triggers was prepared by in-situ hydrothermal growth of ZIF67 polyhedron on 2D MoS_(2)and subsequent high-temperature carbonization.After encapsulating thermal storage unit(paraffin wax),the obtained composite PCMs integrated high-performance photothermal conversion and thermal energy storage capability.Benefiting from the synergistic enhancement of OD Co nanoparticles with localized surface plasmon resonance effect,carbon layer with the conjugation effect and 2D MoS_(2)with strong solar absorption,composite PCMs exhibited a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 95.19%,Additionally,the resulting composite PCMs also demonstrated long-term thermal sto rage stability and durable structu ral stability after 300 thermal cycles.The proposed collabo rative co-incorporation strategy provides some innovative references for developing next-generation photothermal PCMs in solar energy utilization.

Mica-stabilized polyethylene glycol composite phase change materials for thermal energy storage

Mica was used as a supporting matrix for composite phase change materials(PCMs)in this work because of its distinctive morphology and structure.Composite PCMs were prepared using the vacuum impregnation method,in which mica served as the supporting material and polyethylene glycol(PEG)served as the PCM.Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the addition of PEG had no effect on the crystal structure of mica.Moreover,no chemical reaction occurred between PEG and mica during the vacuum impregnation process,and no new substance was formed.The maximum load of mica-stabilized PEG was 46.24%,the phase change temperature of M_(400)/PEG was 46.03℃,and the latent heat values of melting and cooling were 77.75 and 77.73 J·g^(−1),respectively.The thermal conductivity of M_(400)/PEG was 2.4 times that of pure PEG.The thermal infrared images indicated that the thermal response of M_(400)/PEG improved relative to that of pure PEG.The leakage test confirmed that mica could stabilize PEG and that M_(400)/PEG had great form-stabilized property.These results demonstrate that M_(400)/PEG has potential in the field of building energy conservation.

Preparation of Palygorskite-based Phase Change Composites for Thermal Energy Storage and Their Applications in Trombe Walls

Palygorskite/paraffin phase-change composites were prepared by the combination of purified palygorskite clay and sliced paraffin. Then, this composite was used in the Trombe wall to improve its energy storage ability. Further, its energy storage ability was compared to that of ordinary concrete wall through contrastive test. The experiments show that palygorskite clay is a type of clay mineral with strong adsorption ability, and the purity of natural palygorskite clay can reach up to 97.1% after certain purification processes. Paraffin is well adsorbed by palygorskite, and the test results show that the optimal adsorption ratio is palygorskite： paraffin = 2：1（mass ratio）. Palygorskite/paraffin phase change composites can be obtained by using palygorskite as the adsorbing medium to adsorb paraffin. The composite materials exhibit good heat storage（release） performance, which can store heat with increasing environment temperature and release heat with decreasing temperature. This property not only increases the inertia to environment temperature change, but also promotes the energy migration in different time and space, thus achieving a certain energy-saving effect. The application of palygorskite/paraffin phase change composite materials to the Trombe wall can significantly reduce the fluctuation of indoor temperature and enhance the thermal inertia of indoor environment. From the aspect of energy storage effect, the Trombe wall fabricated using PCMs is significantly superior to the concrete wall with the same thickness.

Thermal energy storage inside the chamber with a brick wall using the phase change process of paraffinic materials:A numerical simulation

Phase change materials are one of the potential resources to replace fossil fuels in regards of supplying the energy of buildings.Basically,these materials absorb or release heat energy with the help of their latent heat.Phase change materials have low thermal conductivity and this makes it possible to use the physical properties of these materials in the tropical regions where the solar radiation is more direct and concentrated over a smaller area.In this theoretical work,an attempt has been made to study the melting process of these materials by applying constant heat flux and temperature.It was found that by increasing the thickness of phase change materials’layers,due to the melting,more thermal energy is stored.Simultaneously it reduces the penetration of excessive heat into the chamber,so that by increasing the thickness of paraffin materials up to 20 mm,the rate of temperature reduction reaches more than 18%.It was also recognized that increasing the values of constant input heat flux increases buoyancy effects.Increasing the Stefan number from 0.1 to 0.3,increases the temperature by 6%.

Synthesis and thermal characterization of the C-S-H/paraffin composite phase change material utilizing a discontinuous two-step nucleation method

The novel calcium-silicate-hydrate(C-S-H)/paraffin composite phase change materials were synthesized using a discontinuous two-step nucleation method.Initially,the C-S-H precursor is separated and dried,followed by immersion in an aqueous environment to transform it into C-S-H.This two-step nucleation approach results in C-S-H with a specific surface area of 497.2 m^(2)/g,achieved by preventing C-S-H foil overlapping and refining its pore structure.When impregnated with paraffin,the novel C-S-H/paraffin composite exhibits superior thermal properties,such as a higher potential heat value of 148.3 J/g and an encapsulation efficiency of 81.6%,outperforming conventional C-S-H.Moreover,the composite material demonstrates excellent cyclic performance,indicating its potential for building thermal storage compared to other paraffin-based composites.Compared with the conventional method,this simple technology,which only adds conversion and centrifugation steps,does not negatively impact preparation costs,the environment,and resource consumption.This study provides valuable theoretical insights for designing thermal storage concrete materials and advancing building heat management.

Preparation and hygrothermal performance of composite phase change material wallboard with humidity control based on expanded perlite/diatomite/paraffin

Phase change material(PCM)can reduce the indoor temperature fluctuation and humidity control material can adjust relative humidity used in buildings.In this study,a kind of composite phase change material particles(CPCMPs)were prepared by vacuum impregnation method with expanded perlite(EP)as supporting material and paraffin as phase change material.Thus,a PCM plate was fabricated by mould pressing method with CPCMPs and then composite phase change humidity control wallboard(CPCHCW)was prepared by spraying the diatom mud on the surface of PCM plate.The composition,thermophysical properties and microstructure were characterized using X-ray diffraction instrument(XRD),differential scanning calorimeter(DSC)and scanning electron microscope(SEM).Additionally,the hygrothermal performance of CPCHCW was characterized by temperature and humidity collaborative test.The results can be summarized as follows:(1)CPCMPs have suitable phase change parameters with melting/freezing point of 18.23°C/29.42°C and higher latent heat of 54.66 J/g/55.63 J/g;(2)the diatom mud can control the humidity of confined space with a certain volume;(3)the combination of diatom mud and PCM plate in CPCHCW can effectively adjust the indoor temperature and humidity.The above conclusions indicate the potential of CPCHCW in the application of building energy efficiency.

The establishment of Boron nitride@sodium alginate foam/polyethyleneglycol composite phase change materials with high thermal conductivity, shape stability, and reusability

Adopting organic phase change materials(PCMs) for the management of electronic devices is restricted by low thermal conductivity. In this paper, the composite PCMs are established by freeze-drying and vacuum impregnation. Herein, polyethylene glycol(PEG) is induced as heat storage materials, boron nitride(BN) is embedded as filler stacking in an orderly fashion on the foam walls to improve thermal conductivity and sodium alginate(SA) is formed as supporting material to keep the shape of the composite stable. X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometer, thermal gravimetric analysis, thermal conductivity meter, differential scanning calorimeter, and Fourier transform infrared were used to characterize the samples and thermal cycles were employed to measure the shape stability. The results exhibit the BN@SA/PEG composite PCMs have good chemical compatibility, stable morphology, and thermal stability. Due to the high porosity of foam, PEG endows the composite PCMs with high latent heat(149.11 and 141.59 J·g^(-1)). Simultaneously, BN@SA/PEG shows an excellent heat performance with high thermal conductivity(0.99 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)), reusability, and shape stability, contributing the composite PCMs to application in the energy storage field. This study provides a strategy to manufacture flexible, long-serving, and shape-stable PCMs via introducing BN@SA foam as a storage framework, and these PCMs have great potential in thermal management in the electronic field.

Preparation of Paraffin/γ-Al2O3 Composites as Phase Change Energy Storage Materials

Paraffin/γ-Al2O3 composites as phase change energy storage materials were prepared by absorbing paraffin in porous network of γ-Al2O3.In the composite materials,paraffin was used as a phase change material(PCM)for thermal energy storage,and γ-Al2O3 acted as supporting materials.Characterizations were conducted to evaluate the energy storage performance of the composites,and differential scanning calorimeter results showed that the PCM-3 composite has melting latent heat of 112.9 kJ/kg with a melting temperature of 62.9 ℃.Due to strong capillary force and surface tension between paraffin and γ-Al2O3,the leakage of melted paraffin from the composites can be effectively prevented.Therefore,the paraffin/γ-Al2O3 composites have a good thermal stability and can be used repeatedly.

Spatiotemporal phase change materials for thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release

Phase change materials(PCMs)have attracted much attention in the field of solar thermal utilization recently,due to their outstanding thermal energy storage performance.However,PCMs usually release their stored latent heat spontaneously as the temperature below the phase transition temperature,rendering thermal energy storage and release uncontrollable,thus hindering their practical application in time and space.Herein,we developed erythritol/sodium carboxymethylcellulose/tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate(ERY/CMC/EDTA-4Na)composite PCMs with novel spatiotemporal thermal energy storage properties,defined as spatiotemporal PCMs(STPCMs),which exhibit the capacity of thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release.Our results show that the composite PCMs are unable to lose latent heat due to spontaneous crystallization during cooling,but can controllably release thermal energy through cold crystallization during reheating.The cold-crystallization temperature and enthalpy of composite PCMs can be adjusted by proportional addition of EDTA-4Na to the composite.When the mass fractions of CMC and EDTA-4Na are both 10%,the composite PCMs can exhibit the optical coldcrystallization temperature of 51.7℃ and enthalpy of 178.1 J/g.The supercooled composite PCMs without latent heat release can be maintained at room temperature(10-25℃)for up to more than two months,and subsequently the stored latent heat can be controllably released by means of thermal triggering or heterogeneous nucleation.Our findings provide novel insights into the design and construction of new PCMs with spatiotemporal performance of thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release,and consequently open a new door for the development of advanced solar thermal utilization techniques on the basis of STPCMs.

Design of the flame retardant form-stable composite phase change materials for battery thermal management system

Phase change materials have attracted significant attention owing to their promising applications in many aspects.However,it is seriously restricted by some drawbacks such as obvious leakage,relatively low thermal conductivity,and easily flame properties.Herein,a novel flame retardant form-stable composite phase change material(CPCM)with polyethylene glycol/epoxy resin/expanded graphite/magnesium hydroxide/zinc hydroxide(PEG/ER/EG/MH/ZH)has been successfully prepared and utilized in the battery module.The addition of MH and ZH(MH:ZH=1:2)as flame retardant additions can not only greatly improve the flame retardant effect but also maintain the physical and mechanical properties of the polymer.Further,the EG(5%)can provide the graphitization degree of residual char which is beneficial to building a more protective barrier.This designation of CPCM can exhibit leakage-proof,high thermal conductivity(increasing 400%-500%)and prominent flammable retardant performance.Especially at 3C discharge rate,the maximum temperature is controlled below 54.2℃and the temperature difference is maintained within 2.2℃in the battery module,which presents a superior thermal management effect.This work suggests an efficient and feasible approach toward exploiting a multifunctional phase change material for thermal management systems for electric vehicles and energy storage fields.

Heat transfer and parametric studies of an encapsulated phase change material based cool thermal energy storage system

This work investigates the transient behaviour of a phase change material based cool thermal energy storage (CTES) system comprised of a cylindrical storage tank filled with encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) in spherical container integrated with an ethylene glycol chiller plant. A simulation program was developed to evaluate the temperature histories of the heat transfer fluid (HTF) and the phase change material at any axial location during the charging period. The results of the model were validated by comparison with experimental results of temperature profiles of HTF and PCM. The model was also used to investigate the effect of porosity, Stanton number, Stefan number and Peclet number on CTES system performance. The results showed that increase in porosity contributes to a higher rate of energy storage. However, for a given geometry and heat transfer coefficient, the mass of PCM charged in the unit decreases as the increase in porosity. The St number as well as the Ste number is also influential in the performance of the unit. The model is a convenient and more suitable method to determine the heat transfer characteristics of CTES system. The results reported are much useful for designing CTES system.

Fabrication, property characterization and thermal performance of composite phase change material plates based on tetradecanol-myristic acid binary eutectic mixture/expanded perlite and expanded vermiculite for building application

A binary eutectic mixture composed of tetradecanol(TD)and myristic acid(MA)was maximally absorbed into the microstructures of expanded perlite(EP)and expanded vermiculite(EVMT),respectively,through a self-made vacuum adsorption roller to prepare phase change material(PCM)particle(PCP).Then EP and EVMT-based composite PCM plates were respectively fabricated through a mold pressing method.The thermal property,chemical stability,microstructure and durability were characterized by differential scanning calorimeter(DSC),Fourier transform infrared spectroscope(FT-IR),scanning electron microscope(SEM)and thermal cycling tests,respectively.The results show that both PCPs have high latent heats with 110 J/g for EP-based PCP and more than 130 J/g for EVMT-based PCP,compact microstructure without PCM leakage,stable chemical property and good durability.The research results have proved the feasibility for the vacuum adsorption roller used in the composite PCM fabrication.Results of thermal storage performance experiment indicate that the fabricated PCM plates have better thermal inertia than common building materials,and the thermal storage performance of PCM plates has nonlinearly changed with outside air velocity and temperature increase.Therefore,PCM plates show a significant potential for the practical application of building thermal storage.

Fly Ash/Paraffin Composite Phase Change Material Used to Treat Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Expansive Soil in Cold Regions

Phase change materials(PCMs)can store large amounts of energy in latent heat and release it during phase changes,which could be used to improve the freeze-thaw performance of soil.The composite phase change material was prepared with paraffin as the PCM and 8%Class C fly ash(CFA)as the supporting material.Laboratory tests were conducted to reveal the influence of phase change paraffin composite Class C fly ash(CFA-PCM)on the thermal properties,volume changes and mechanical properties of expansive soil.The results show that PCM failed to establish a good improvement effect due to leakage.CFA can effectively adsorb phase change materials,and the two have good compatibility.CFA-PCM reduces the volume change and strength attenuation of the soil,and 8 wt.%PCM is the optimal content.CFA-PCM turns the phase change latent heat down of the soil and improves its thermal stability.CFA-PCM makes the impact small of freeze-thaw on soil pore structure damage and improves soil volume change and mechanical properties on a macroscopic scale.In addition,CFA-8 wt.%PCM treated expansive soil has apparent advantages in resisting repeated freeze-thaw cycles,providing a reference for actual engineering design.

Model-based optimal design of phase change ionic liquids for efficient thermal energy storage

The selection of phase change material(PCM)plays an important role in developing high-efficient thermal energy storage(TES)processes.Ionic liquids(ILs)or organic salts are thermally stable,non-volatile,and non-flammable.Importantly,researchers have proved that some ILs possess higher latent heat of fusion than conventional PCMs.Despite these attractive characteristics,yet surprisingly,little research has been performed to the systematic selection or structural design of ILs for TES.Besides,most of the existing work is only focused on the latent heat when selecting PCMs.However,one should note that other properties such as heat capacity and thermal conductivity could affect the TES performance as well.In this work,we propose a computer-aided molecular design(CAMD)based method to systematically design IL PCMs for a practical TES process.The effects of different IL properties are simultaneously captured in the IL property models and TES process models.Optimal ILs holding a best compromise of all the properties are identified through the solution of a formulated CAMD problem where the TES performance of the process is maximized.[MPyEtOH][TfO]is found to be the best material and excitingly,the identified top nine ILs all show a higher TES performance than the traditional PCM paraffin wax at 10 h thermal charging time.

Modified sepiolite stabilized stearic acid as a form-stable phase change material for thermal energy storage

Sepiolite(ST) was used as a supporting matrix in compiste phase change materials(PCMs) due to its unique microstructure, good thermal stability, and other raw material advantages. In this paper, microwave acid treatment were innovatively used for the modification of sepiolite. The modified sepiolite(ST_(m)) obtained in different hydrochloric acid concentrations(0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 mol·L^(-1)) was added to stearic acid(SA) via vacuum impregnation method. The thermophysical properties of the composites were changed by varying the hydrochloric acid concentration. The SA-ST_(m0.5)obtained by microwave acid treatment at 0.5 mol·L^(-1)hydrochloric acid concentration showed a higher loading capacity(82.63%) than other composites according to the differential scanning calorimeter(DSC) analysis. The melting and freezing enthalpies of SA-ST_(m0.5)were of 152.30 and 148.90 J·g^(-1), respectively. The thermal conductivity of SA-ST_(m0.5)was as high as 1.52 times that of pure SA. In addition, the crystal structure, surface morphology, and microporous structure of ST_(m)were studied, and the mechanism of SAST_(m0.5)performance enhancement was further revealed by Brunauere Emmett Teller(BET) analysis. Leakage experiment showed that SAST_(m0.5)had a good morphological stability. These results demostrate that SA-ST_(m0.5)has a potential application in thermal energy storage.

Parametric Study on Phase Change Material Based Thermal Energy Storage System

The usage of phase change materials (PCM) to store the heat in the form of latent heat is increased, because large quantity of thermal energy is stored in smaller volumes. In the present experimental investigation, sodium thiosulphate pentahydrate is employed as phase change material and it is stored in stainless steel capsules. These capsules are kept in fabricated tank and hot water is supplied into it. The experimental design is prepared by considering the parameters: flow rate, heat transfer fluid inlet temperature and PCM capsule shape. Experiments are conducted according to the experimental design and responses are recorded. The effect of selected parameters on TES using PCM is studied by analyzing experimental data. The experimental data are also analyzed using Fuzzy Logic to find the optimal values of flow rate, heat transfer fluid inlet temperature and PCM capsule shapes. The present work utilizes Fuzzy Logic to find the optimal parameters for designing the effective Thermal Energy Storage System (TES).

Integrating thermal energy storage and microwave absorption in phase change material-encapsulated core-sheath MoS_(2)@CNTs

Developing advanced nanocomposite integrating solar-driven thermal energy storage and thermal management functional microwave absorption can facilitate the cutting-edge application of phase change materials(PCMs).To conquer this goal,herein,two-dimensional MoS_(2) nanosheets are grown in situ on the surface of one-dimensional CNTs to prepare core-sheath MoS_(2)@CNTs for the encapsulation of paraffin wax(PW).Benefiting from the synergistic enhancement photothermal effect of MoS_(2) and CNTs,MoS_(2)@CNTs is capable of efficiently trapping photons and quickly transporting phonons,thus yielding a high solar-thermal energy conversion and storage efficiency of 94.97%.Meanwhile,PW/MoS_(2)@CNTs composite PCMs exhibit a high phase change enthalpy of 101.60 J/g and excellent lo ng-term thermal storage durability after undergoing multiple heating-cooling cycles.More attractively,PW/MoS_(2)@CNTs composite PCMs realize thermal management functional microwave absorption in heat-related electronic application scenarios,which is superior to the single microwave absorption of traditional materials.The minimum reflection loss(RL) for PW/MoS_(2)@CNTs is-28 dB at 12.91 GHz with a 2.0 mm thickness.This functional integration design provides some insightful references on developing advanced microwave absorbing composite PCMs,holding great potential towards high-efficiency solar energy utilization and thermally managed microwave absorption fields.

Preparation and phase change performance of Na_2HPO_4·12H_2O@poly(lactic acid) capsules for thermal energy storage

Micro-encapsulated phase-change materials(micro PCMs) with Na_2 HPO_4·12 H_2 O encapsulated in poly(lactic acid)(PLA) shell were prepared by a solvent evaporation–precipitation method that involves the use of a coaxial needle. The effects of PLA concentration, stirring speed, injection rate of core and shell solutions, and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) concentration on phase change properties were investigated. The thermal properties of microP CMs were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). The capsules prepared under the optimal conditions are about 2 mm in diameter and show a latent heat of up to 122.2 J·g^(-1).