A versatile PCM energy storage system for building applications (Versatile PCM)

在英国，建筑物的供暖和热水占能源使用的40%，占温室气体排放的20%。到2030年，这些排放量必须减少20%以上，到2050年几乎完全脱碳，这是议会在《气候变化法》中设定的具有法律约束力的目标的一部分。为了实现这些目标并降低能源消耗，提出了一种创新的多功能PCM（相变材料）能量存储系统，该多功能PCM系统可以在短期到长期的基础上同步终端用户的能源需求和供应。多功能PCM将鼓励使用节能解决方案，特别是适应英国天气，其中太阳辐射可能在一天中发生巨大变化。多功能PCM是解决建筑应用中“按需加热”能源问题的一种有前途的先进技术。除了在充电后可能会有适度的显热损失外，热能将有效地储存在室温或环境温度下，而不会损失，直到需要。当需要热量时，触发器被激活以引起热量释放。多功能PCM是一种创新的替代储能措施，具有可控热释放和大大减少热损失的优点。为了增强在环境温度下的长期能量存储，可以将装置放置为PCM组，每个组都有自己的触发器，仅在需要时才能释放热量以满足长期需求。通常，PCM可以以非常高的能量密度存储热量，然而，对于长期存储，热损失仍然是一个具有挑战性的问题。在传统的PCM存储中，PCM存储在高于其熔点的环境中，导致能量的连续损失。多功能PCM的一个主要优点是利用PCM的过冷特性，只有当用户触发结晶机制时，热量才会释放出来，从而实现长期有效的存储。Photochemics/热太阳能集热器将提供热流体为PCM电池充电。在高太阳辐射的日子里，热量可以直接由收集器供应给电池，而在低太阳辐射的日子里，热量可以由热泵供应给电池，其中传热流体的温度可以由PV驱动的热泵升高。该系统还可以在工业应用中实施，其中废热可以存储在PCM单元中，并在需要时稍后使用。可以在不同时间激活不同数量和尺寸的PCM单元以满足加热需求。在热量释放和可用的存储时间的灵活性，使多功能PCM安装独特，特别适合在天气条件变化大的地区，如英国。该系统可以在高太阳辐射天充电，并根据随后几天的热量需求释放储存的热量。通过该项目开发的新技术比传统供暖技术更有效，消除了蓄热过程中的热量损失，并在最终使用能源管理中可控，因此如果广泛安装，可以显着减少英国供暖部门的碳排放。

In the UK, heating and hot water for buildings make up 40% of energy use and 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions must be reduced by over 20% by 2030, with a nearly complete decarbonisation by 2050, as part of the legally binding targets set by the Parliament in the Climate Change Act. To reach these targets and reduce the energy consumption, an innovative Versatile PCM (phase change material) energy storage system is presented.The proposed Versatile PCM system can play an essential role in synchronizing end use energy demand and supply on a short to long term basis. Versatile PCM will encourage the use of energy-efficient solutions, especially being adaptable to the British weather where the solar radiation may change dramatically during a day. Versatile PCM is a promising advanced technology in addressing the "heating on demand" energy issue in building applications. Apart from a possible modest loss of sensible heat just after charging, the thermal energy will be effectively stored at room temperature or ambient temperature, without loss, until required. When heat is required, a trigger is activated to induce heat release. Versatile PCM is an innovative and alternative energy storage measure with the advantage of controllable heat release and greatly reduced heat loss. To enhance long term energy storage at ambient temperature, installation can be placed as PCM groups, each with its own trigger, enabling release of heat only as demanded for long term needs. Normally, PCM can store heat with very high energy density, however, for long-term storage, heat loss is still a challenging problem. In conventional PCM storage, the PCMs are stored at ambient, above their melting point, resulting in continuous loss of energy. A major advantage of Versatile PCM is the use of the supercooling characteristics of PCM where heat is released only when the user triggers the crystallization mechanism, allowing long term, efficient storage.Photovoltaics/thermal solar collectors will supply a hot fluid to charge the PCM cells. The heat can be supplied to cells directly by the collectors in high solar radiation days and by the heat pump in low solar radiation days where the temperature of the heat transfer fluid can be boosted by a PV-driven heat pump. The system can also be implemented in industrial applications, where waste heat can be stored in the PCM cells and used later when it is required. Different numbers and sizes of PCM cells can be activated at different times to meet the heating demand. The flexibility in amount of heat release and available time of storage makes the Versatile PCM installation unique and especially suited to regions with high variability in weather conditions such as the UK. The system can be charged during high solar radiation days and the stored heat released according to heat demand on subsequent days. The novel technology developed through this project is much more efficient than traditional heating technologies by eliminating heat loss during thermal storage and being controllable in end use energy management, and therefore can significantly reduce the carbon emissions from the heating sector in the UK, if widely installed.