Thermal energy storage implementation using phase change materials for solar cooling and refrigeration applications

Abstract

The final goal of this study is to implement and to test a thermal energy storage (TES) system using different phase change materials (PCM) for solar cooling and refrigeration applications. A high temperature pilot plant able to test different types of TES systems and materials was designed and built at the University of Lleida (Spain). This pilot plant is composed mainly by three parts: heating system, cooling system, and different storage tanks. The pilot plant uses synthetic thermal oil as heat transfer fluid (HTF) and has a working temperature range from 100 ºC to 400 ºC. Two different PCM were selected after a deep study of the requirements of a real solar cooling plant and the available materials in the market, finally d-mannitol with phase change temperature of 167 ºC and hydroquinone which has a melting temperature of 172.2 ºC were used. ; The work is partially funded by the Spanish government (ENE2011-22722). The authors would like to thank the Catalan Government for the quality accreditation given to their research group GREA (2009 SGR 534). Antoni Gil would like to thank the Col·legid'Enginyers Industrials de Catalunya for his research appointment. Eduard Oró would like to thank the University of Lleida for his research fellowship.