Experimental Investigation of Thermal Behaviour of Phase Change Material in a Thermal Store (original) (raw)
This paper reports on an experimental thermal energy storage system using phase change material (PCM) and comprising a bench top test rig based on a plate heat exchanger design concept. The research explores the unique properties of PCMs and how they may be used to alleviate peak electricity loads and costs that result from use of heat pumps in domestic buildings by taking advantage of off-peak electricity tariffs. Thermo-physical properties of three different PCMs were tested using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Hot disk instrument. Paraffin wax (RT 58) with a melting point range of 54 – 62°C was selected for the experimental work. A test rig was made from extruded polypropylene sheet with channels that can carry water, representing one of the plates in the thermal store heat exchanger, and PCM contained on one side of it. A computational model was developed to investigate heat exchange between the heat transfer fluid, polypropylene sheet and the PCM in the store. Th...
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