Investigation of Heat transfer enhancement in Thermal Storage Systems with Phase Change Materials

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The energy consumption is in the form of heat for heating systems and hot water in domestic andcommercial buildings represent more than the 40% of the global energy consumption. ThermalEnergy Storage (TES) is a key aspect in efficient use of thermal renewable energy sources orwaste heat. The TES with Phase Change Materials (PCM) can serve the above purpose becauseoffer higher thermal energy storage capacity and compact design, compared to the conventionalsystems. The main limitations of many PCMs are their low thermal conductivity and the cost andthese constitute one of the major challenges for their potential applications. Therefore, it isnecessary to considerate cost-effective methods which would enhance heat transfer in TES withPCM.The aim of this project is to investigate and seek the most "cost-effective" materials and methodsto enhance the thermal conductivity of the low and medium temperature PCM in order to controlthe charging and discharging rates.The project will involve the research on materials and configurations to optimize the heat transferbetween PCM in TES and heat transfer fluid, the study of the heat transfer during melting andsolidification processes with enhanced PCM in low-medium TES applications, the thermophysicalcharacterization of PCMs, the numerical and experimental investigations, the derivationof numerical dimensionless heat transfer correlations and guidelines on the design of compactTES. The creation of cost-effective new conceptual design of high-performance TES will promotethe wider utilisation of renewable energy resources for heating systems and hot water indomestic and commercial buildings.