Recent advances in thermophysical properties enhancement of phase change materials for thermal energy storage

Abstract Phase change materials (PCM) are promising technology to store thermal energy at a constant temperature. A large amount of energy can be stored or released in latent heat form during the transition of material from one phase to another. Despite the great benefits, most PCMs have their own limitations i.e., low phase change enthalpy, poor specific heat and thermal conductivity, supercooling, volume change, phase segregation, etc. Consequently, efficient thermal energy storage requires improving the thermophysical properties of PCMs. The present study is a comprehensive review of existing techniques for PCMs thermophysical properties enhancement. The research progresses on adding zero, one, two, and three-dimensionally structured additives to PCM is assessed to improve the thermal transport by enhancing the PCM effective thermal conductivity. The enhancement of latent heat of fusion and specific heat using various additives is also discussed. Further, the latest techniques on supercooling and phase segregation reduction are also presented. Last, the modelling of the novel composite materials formed by combining a PCM with other materials is presented. Despite the fact that the majority of these methods are still in the research and development stage, some of them have the potential to be commercialized in the near future. Reliable and efficient PCMs are exceptionally useful for storing solar energy and industrial waste heat, especially for constant temperature applications.