Improvement of Phase Change Materials (PCM) Used for Solar Process Heat Applications
The high intermittency of solar energy is still a challenge yet to be overcome. The use of thermal storage has proven to be a good option, with phase change materials (PCM) as very promising candidates. Nevertheless, PCM compounds have typically poor thermal conductivity, reducing their attractivene...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/5/1260 |
| _version_ | 1797395165325819904 |
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| author | Cristina Prieto Anton Lopez-Roman Noelia Martínez Josep M. Morera Luisa F. Cabeza |
| author_facet | Cristina Prieto Anton Lopez-Roman Noelia Martínez Josep M. Morera Luisa F. Cabeza |
| author_sort | Cristina Prieto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The high intermittency of solar energy is still a challenge yet to be overcome. The use of thermal storage has proven to be a good option, with phase change materials (PCM) as very promising candidates. Nevertheless, PCM compounds have typically poor thermal conductivity, reducing their attractiveness for commercial uses. This paper demonstrates the viability of increasing the PCM effective thermal conductivity to industrial required values (around 4 W/m·K) by using metal wool infiltrated into the resin under vacuum conditions. To achieve this result, the authors used an inert resin, decoupling the specific PCM material selection from the enhancement effect of the metal wools. To ensure proper behavior of the metal wool under standard industrial environments at a broad range of temperatures, a set of analyses were performed at high temperatures and an inert atmosphere, presenting a thorough analysis of the obtained results. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:30:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-78aa4fc679364a0eb2f1e88d37c60e24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:30:32Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-78aa4fc679364a0eb2f1e88d37c60e242023-12-11T18:32:23ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492021-02-01265126010.3390/molecules26051260Improvement of Phase Change Materials (PCM) Used for Solar Process Heat ApplicationsCristina Prieto0Anton Lopez-Roman1Noelia Martínez2Josep M. Morera3Luisa F. Cabeza4Abengoa Energía, c/Energía Solar 1, 41012 Sevilla, SpainAbengoa Energía, c/Energía Solar 1, 41012 Sevilla, SpainAbengoa Energía, c/Energía Solar 1, 41012 Sevilla, SpainGREiA Research Group, Universitat de Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, SpainGREiA Research Group, Universitat de Lleida, Pere de Cabrera s/n, 25001 Lleida, SpainThe high intermittency of solar energy is still a challenge yet to be overcome. The use of thermal storage has proven to be a good option, with phase change materials (PCM) as very promising candidates. Nevertheless, PCM compounds have typically poor thermal conductivity, reducing their attractiveness for commercial uses. This paper demonstrates the viability of increasing the PCM effective thermal conductivity to industrial required values (around 4 W/m·K) by using metal wool infiltrated into the resin under vacuum conditions. To achieve this result, the authors used an inert resin, decoupling the specific PCM material selection from the enhancement effect of the metal wools. To ensure proper behavior of the metal wool under standard industrial environments at a broad range of temperatures, a set of analyses were performed at high temperatures and an inert atmosphere, presenting a thorough analysis of the obtained results.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/5/1260solar process heatthermal energy storagephase change materialmetal wooleffective thermal conductivity enhancementinert atmosphere |
| spellingShingle | Cristina Prieto Anton Lopez-Roman Noelia Martínez Josep M. Morera Luisa F. Cabeza Improvement of Phase Change Materials (PCM) Used for Solar Process Heat Applications Molecules solar process heat thermal energy storage phase change material metal wool effective thermal conductivity enhancement inert atmosphere |
| title | Improvement of Phase Change Materials (PCM) Used for Solar Process Heat Applications |
| title_full | Improvement of Phase Change Materials (PCM) Used for Solar Process Heat Applications |
| title_fullStr | Improvement of Phase Change Materials (PCM) Used for Solar Process Heat Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improvement of Phase Change Materials (PCM) Used for Solar Process Heat Applications |
| title_short | Improvement of Phase Change Materials (PCM) Used for Solar Process Heat Applications |
| title_sort | improvement of phase change materials pcm used for solar process heat applications |
| topic | solar process heat thermal energy storage phase change material metal wool effective thermal conductivity enhancement inert atmosphere |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/5/1260 |
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