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U.S. Department of Energy
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Solid state phase change materials for thermal energy storage in passive solar heated buildings

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6378193

A set of solid state phase change materials was evaluated for possible use in passive solar thermal energy storage systems. The most promising materials are organic solid solutions of pentaerythritol, pentaglycerine and neopentyl glycol. Solid solution mixtures of these compounds can be tailored so that they exhibit solid-to-solid phase transformations at any desired temperature within the range from less than 25 deg to 188 deg. Thermophysical properties such as thermal conductivity, density and volumetric expansion were measured. Computer simulations were used to predict the performance of various Trombe wall designs incorporating solid state phase change materials. Optimum performance was found to be sensitive to the choice of phase change temperatures and to the thermal conductivity of the phase change material. A molecular mechanism of the solid state phase transition is proposed and supported by infrared spectroscopic evidence.

Research Organization:
Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
OSTI ID:
6378193
Report Number(s):
N-84-26163
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English