Study on thermal energy storage properties of organic phase change material for waste heat recovery applications

Abstract

The phase change materials (PCMs) are a class of materials which exhibit good phase transformations by undergoing cyclic freezing and melting processes through the influence of heat transfer. The increased research on materials has paved way for the development of heat storage materials with enhanced thermophysical properties suitable for waste heat recovery applications. Waste heat recovery is a practice that affords lower energy input through thermal energy exchange among sub-systems, whilecurbing pollution. This paper presents the experimental investigation on thermophysical properties and heat storage characteristics of an organic PCM for waste heat recovery applications. Experimental results reveal that, the organic PCM being utilized has exhibited congruent phase transition characteristics (∼60.8 °C), high latent heat capacity (∼164.28 kJ/kg), good thermal conductivity, and thermal stability as well. The test results suggest that, during the heating and cooling cycles, the rate at which the energy is being transferred between the PCM and the surrounding fluid strongly depends on the thermophysical properties and heat storage potential of the PCM. Heat transfer rates largely varied with the operating conditions, ranging from a few watts to over 1kW. These attributes enabled the PCM to be considered as a viable and energetic material for waste heat recovery applications.