Thermal energy storage system combining mass and PCM

Technical Report · Sun Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6881104

The intent of this project was to construct several concrete blocks with PCM (Phase Change Material) encapsulated and to test these blocks as to heat transfer rate with and without a highly conductive matrix cast within the PCM core. The tests were to be conducted on commercially available PCM's being sold for solar applications. Unfortunately, one of the three PCM's was no longer produced commercially for sale and another would not crystallize as claimed by the manufacturer. This left one PCM, paraffin wax (the most critical to this work), to be tested. The testing showed that substantial improvement (18.5%) of heat conduction to the center of the paraffin core was obtainable with only a 2% loss of latent heat storage capacity. This finding may have a significant impact on the container designs for hydrocarbon heat storage system by showing that reduced surface to volume ratios can produce adequate heat transfer rates to the center of the PCM mass, without significant loss of performance.

• Research Organization: Central States Energy Research Corp., Iowa City, IA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG47-80R701102
• OSTI ID: 6881104
• Report Number(s): DOE/R7/01102-T1; ON: DE84007732
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
142000* -- Solar Energy-- Heat Storage-- (1980-)
ALKANES
BUILDING MATERIALS
CONCRETE BLOCKS
ENCAPSULATION
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT STORAGE
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDROCARBONS
LATENT HEAT STORAGE
MATERIALS
MATRICES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARAFFIN
PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS
STORAGE
TESTING
WAXES