Preparation of Stable Phase Change Material Emulsions for Thermal Energy Storage and Thermal Management Applications: A Review

Materials

Jian-Yong Wu¹  Liu Liu¹  Jianlei Niu² 

[1] Department of Applied Biology & Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong;Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong;

关键词: phase change material;    emulsions;    paraffin;    thermophysical properties;    thermal energy storage;    thermal management;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ma15010121

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Thermal energy storage (TES) is an important means for the conservation and efficient utilization of excessive and renewable energy. With a much higher thermal storage capacity, latent heat storage (LHS) may be more efficient than sensible heat storage. Phase change materials (PCMs) are the essential storage media for LHS. PCM emulsions have been developed for LHS in flow systems, which act as both heat transfer and thermal storage media with enhanced heat transfer, low pumping power, and high thermal storage capacity. However, two major barriers to the application of PCM emulsions are their instability and high degree of supercooling. To overcome these, various strategies have been attempted, such as the reduction of emulsion droplet size, addition of nucleating agents, and optimization of the formulation. To the best of our knowledge, however, there is still a lack of review articles on fabrication methods for PCM emulsions or their latest applications. This review was to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive summary on the effective strategies and the underlying mechanisms for the preparation of stable PCM emulsions and reduction of supercooling, especially with the organic PCMs of paraffin. It was also to share our insightful perspectives on further development and potential applications of PCM emulsions for efficient energy storage.

【 授权许可】

Unknown