A Review Study on the Thermo Physical Properties and Storage Applications of Phase Change Materials

Phase change material as a thermal energy storage medium has been widely incorporated in various technologies like solar air/water heating, buildings, and desalination for efficient use and management of fluctuating solar energy. Temperature and thermal energy requirements dictate the selection of an appropriate phase change material for its application in various engineering systems. This paper reviews some of the thermo physical properties of the phase change materials and their applications for thermal storage. Thermal cycles up to 300 are performed to investigate melting and solidification reversibility as well as degradation over time. Paraffin waxes have reversible phase change with no degradation of thermo physical properties over time. Melting/solidification temperature and thermal energy storage capabilities make them suitable for their application as a thermal energy storage medium, in high temperature vapour compression, multi-stage flash and multi-effect distillation processes of non-membrane based indirect desalination systems.