A Review Study on the Use of Phase Change Materials in Heat Exchangers: An Overview of Hybrid Techniques for Thermal Performance Enhancement
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Abstract
In this review paper, phase change materials (PCM) usage in the heat exchangers are explored with attention paid to hybrid enhancement methods to enhance the thermal performance and energy stores. PCMs have been well known to have a high latent heat capacitance as well as a capability to hold and release thermal energy at approximately steady temperatures, which qualifies them as application in solar thermal systems, energy management in buildings, waste heat recovery, and thermal management in industries. Nonetheless, their widespread application in heat exchangers is hampered by a thermal conductivity, which is similarly low preventing thermal conductivity, lowering the speed of melting and solidification and reducing the total efficiency of heat conduction. In order to overcome this shortcoming, the recent past has seen studies on various improvement measures such as the use of extended surfaces and novel fin geometries, nanoparticles-enhanced PCMs, metal foams and device optimum shell-and-tube designs. Hybrid methods involving fins and nano-enhanced PCMs have proved to have high synergistic gains of melting, uniformity of temperatures, and efficacy of the system. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models have also been used to predict thermal behavior, optimization of geometry and validate experimental results. In spite of the significant advancement, issues including long-term stability, supercooling, material compatibility, manufacturing complexity and cost are still obstructions to large-scale adoption. Overall, there is high potential of the use of hybrid PCM-based heat exchanger as a next generation thermal energy storage system, especially in the renewable energy system, as long as material durability, standardization and economic viability are refined.
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