Thermal energy storage performance, application and challenge of phase change materials: a review
Shang Mao, Yong Liu, Xuehong Wu, L. Zhang, Junjie Chen, Tao Zhou
Abstract
Phase change material (PCM) has critical applications in thermal energy storage (TES) and conversion systems due to significant capacity to store and release heat. The melting point of PCM ranges from below zero to 800 °C and the latent heat of phase transition can reach up to 400 kJ·kg −1 , which has drawn significant attention as a promising solution for TES. The wide range of phase transition temperatures and high storage capacity allow it application across multiple sectors. In this paper, the fundamental properties, applications and future challenges of PCM were comprehensively summarized and discussed. Initially, the classification of PCM was introduced based on the phase transition process, material composition and phase transition temperature. Subsequently, the key parameters and selection criteria for PCM were presented and discussed. The application of PCM in various domains, including buildings, solar energy, nuclear power production, waste heat recovery, battery thermal management, heat dissipation of electronic devices and biomedical refrigeration, were introduced and evaluated. Finally, future directions and challenges in the development of PCM were explored. The heat transfer enhancement and microencapsulation technologies were summarized and the requirement for advanced PCM was clarified. Moreover, the approach of artificial intelligence for optimizing PCM was highlighted. Overall, this article summarized and generalized the performance, applications and challenges of PCM, providing substantial reference value for research and optimization of PCM.