Heat Transfer and Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage and Thermal Management Applications

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Storage of thermal energy from sustainable energy sources (e.g., solar) or recovery of waste heat in industrial processes has great importance in a world facing challenges of growing energy demand and climate change. Also, effective thermal management is critical for the improvement of efficiency and reliability of many energy systems, such as steam and gas turbines, nuclear reactors, and subsea pipelines in offshore oil and gas production systems. With a high latent heat of fusion, a phase change material (PCM) can absorb (or release) significant amounts of thermal energy during melting (or solidification) processes while it maintains a nearly constant temperature. These features make PCMs attractive in thermal energy storage and thermal management systems. However, the practical applications of PCMs have been limited due to the low thermal conductivity and subcooling problems.