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Accumulating solar and/or environmental heat in walls of apartment buildings or houses is a way to level-out daily temperature differences and significantly cut back on energy demands. A possible way to achieve this goal is by developing advanced composites that consist of porous cementitious materials with embedded phase change materials (PCMs) that have the potential to accumulate or liberate heat energy during a chemical phase change from liquid to solid, or vice versa. This paper aims to report the current state of art on numerical and theoretical approaches available in the scientific literature for modelling the thermal behavior and heat accumulation/liberation of PCMs employed in cement-based composites. The work focuses on reviewing numerical tools for modelling phase change problems while emphasizing the so-called Stefan problem, or particularly, on the numerical techniques available for solving it. In this research field, it is the fixed grid method that is the most commonly and practically applied approach. After this, a discussion on the modelling procedures available for schematizing cementitious composites with embedded PCMs is reported.

Due to advances in its effectiveness and efficiency, solar thermal energy is becoming increasingly attractive as a renewal energy source. Efficient energy storage, however, is a key limiting factor on its further development and adoption. Storage is essential to smooth out energy fluctuations throughout the day and has a major influence on the cost-effectiveness of solar energy systems. This review paper will present the most recent advances in these storage systems. The manuscript aims to review and discuss the various types of storage that have been developed, specifically thermochemical storage (TCS), latent heat storage (LHS), and sensible heat storage (SHS). Among these storage types, SHS is the most developed and commercialized, whereas TCS is still in development stages. The merits and demerits of each storage types are discussed in this review. Some of the important organic and inorganic phase change materials focused in recent years have been summarized. The key contributions of this review article include summarizing the inherent benefits and weaknesses, properties, and design criteria of materials used for storing solar thermal energy, as well as discussion of recent investigations into the dynamic performance of solar energy storage systems.

The need for water can be seen in many aspects of our daily lives. It is used for drinking, washing, cooking, and cleaning. Water is an essential and invaluable resource that maintains an unceasing demand, warranting prudent conservation efforts. In the present experimental investigation, sensible heat energy storage and nano-enhanced latent heat energy storage are utilized in the SSS to augment thermal performance. Doping commercial paraffin wax with 50-nm zirconium oxide nanoparticles improves heat stability and thermal characteristics. The thermophysical properties of the ZrO 2 nanoparticle-doped paraffin wax is examined, and it is found that the thermal conductivity of the nano-enhanced paraffin wax with a maximum concentration of 0.5% by mass is enhanced by about 54.83% while compared to paraffin wax. Waste soda cans can store latent heat thermal energy with nano-enhanced PCM. Rubber and nano-enhanced latent heat thermal energy storage improve heat transfer and thermal performance in the SSS basin. Results showed that the SSS without any thermal energy storage produced a cumulative yield of 2.76 kg m − 2 , whereas the SS with modified nano-enhanced PCM and sensible heat as rubber sheet produced a maximum of 5.02 kg m − 2 . Similarly, the combined effect of nano-enhanced PCM and sensible heat energy storage augmented the SS performance by about 19.3 and 45.01% than the SS with nano-enhanced PCM and without any thermal energy storage, respectively. Before undergoing desalination, the initial water quality parameters of pH, TDS, and electrical conductivity were determined as 8.2, 2654 ppm, and 1.12 dS cm − 1 , respectively. After completion of the desalination process, these values were notably lowered to 7.2, 552 ppm, and 0.12 dS cm − 1 , respectively. Importantly, the results of the water quality analysis adhere to the drinking water standards outlined by the WHO guidelines.

This study presents a thermodynamic analysis of a mixed-mode solar dryer incorporating both sensible and latent heat energy storage materials. Black pebbles were utilized for sensible heat storage, while Lauric acid was selected for latent heat storage. The integration of these energy storage materials significantly enhanced the thermodynamic performance of the dryer, achieving a peak energy efficiency of 14.2% and a 53% increase in average energy efficiency. Additionally, the inclusion of latent heat storage in the collector resulted in the highest recorded collector energy efficiency of 84.6%. Exergy analysis indicated a maximum exergy efficiency of 51.3%, with an average exergy efficiency of 34.3% for the dryer. The implementation of combined thermal energy storage led to a 50% reduction in drying time. Sustainability assessments demonstrated that integrating both sensible and latent heat storage improved energy utilization while minimizing losses, thereby enhancing the overall sustainability and productivity of the solar dryer.The environmental analysis estimated a CO₂ mitigation potential of 83.97 tonnes per year, with a corresponding carbon credit value of $419.85. The system exhibited a remarkably low energy payback period of 1.82 years when operated with both thermal energy storage materials. This research underscores the potential benefits of combining latent and sensible heat storage in solar drying applications, highlighting its contribution to sustainability and the environmental advantages of solar thermal systems.

Ice slurries effectively utilize latent heat, but are generally restricted to temperatures around 0°C. Below this threshold, oil‐based cooling is often used, yet oil alone offers limited sensible heat capacity and is expensive compared to water. To overcome these limitations, this study aims to create a water‐in‐oil (W/O) phase change emulsion that combines the benefits of the high latent heat of (salt) water with an oil‐based matrix to maintain flowability at subzero temperatures. The freezing temperature of an aqueous ammonium sulfate solution is reduced to −18°C and shows additional supercooling when dispersed in oil, pushing the solidification temperature below −48°C. Adding polyethylene glycol (PEG‐600) as a nucleation agent mitigates supercooling from over 30 to about 3 K as proven by thermal analysis. A tailored surfactant system based on Tween 80 (T80) and Span 85 (S85) with a hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) near 7 stabilizes a 30 wt% water phase in thermal oil, thus, harnessing the latent heat of water without compromising pumpability. Measured enthalpy values reach about half the theoretical maximum of 116 J g −1 in a 10 K wide phase change region, offering more than three times the storage capacity of pure oil. Thermomechanical investigations show the emulsions’ capability to withstand repeated freeze–thaw cycles, ensuring kinetic stability for cold transport applications. This study demonstrates how W/O emulsions provide outstanding thermal performance and remain flowable below 0°C. Thereby, key shortcomings of both ice slurries and oil‐based coolants are resolved, unlocking the potential for future high‐performance solutions in cold storage and transport.

In order to achieve global carbon neutrality in the middle of the 21st century, efficient utilization of fossil fuels is highly desired in diverse energy utilization sectors such as industry, transportation, building as well as life science. In the energy utilization infrastructure, about 75% of the fossil fuel consumption is used to provide and maintain heat, leading to more than 60% waste heat of the input energy discharging to the environment. Types of low-grade waste heat recovery technologies are developed to increase the energy efficiency. However, due to the spatial and temporal mismatch between the need and supply of the thermal energy, much of the waste thermal energy is difficult to be recovered. Thermal energy storage (TES) technologies in the forms of sensible, latent and thermochemical heat storage are developed for relieving the mismatched energy supply and demand. Diverse TES systems are developed in recent years with the superior features of large density, long-term, durable and low-cost. These technologies are vital in efficient utilization of low-grade waste heat and expected for building a low or zero carbon emission society. This paper reviews the thermal storage technologies for low carbon power generation, low carbon transportation, low carbon building as well as low carbon life science, in addition, carbon capture, utilization, and storage are also considered for carbon emission reduction. The conclusion and perspective are raised after discussing the specific technologies. This study is expected to provide a reference for the TES technologies in achieving zero-carbon future.

The use of alternate energy has been increased nowadays due to the environmental threats associated with the fossil fuels. Solar energy is emerged out as the most popular alternate source of energy due to its ease of availability. The energy yield from Solar thermal power project can be characterised as variable because of the daily and seasonal variation of the solar field which directly affects the system efficiency. This concern associated with solar power plants can be eliminated with the use of thermal storage solar energy wherein the solar energy can be stored in daytime and can be releasedin the time no solar irradiations. There is different thermal storage can be used to store solar energy such as sensible heat thermal storage, latent heat thermal storage and chemicalheat thermal storage. The heat transfer fluids play an important role for the selection of thermal storage. The present work compares the performance of two tank thermal storage system and cascade thermal storage system for oil and molten salt as HTF. The efficiency of TES can be attained up to 88.2%with cascade storage which is higher by 7.66%in comparison to the two-tank storage system.

Seasonal heat storage is considered as one of the key elements on the path to a low-emission economy. Embedded in local district heating networks, they raise the share of renewable energies and balance out highly fluctuating supplies of e.g. solar systems or windmills. The technology of seasonal heat storage can be described as almost technically mature, with well-established concepts and some systems being in operation for a considerable time. Nevertheless, the operating experience gained to date also revealed two critical problems. On the one hand, even smallest leakages in sealing foils led to irreparable breakdowns. On the other hand, heat loss in the marginal areas was revealed as a key deficiency, preventing the technology from advancing towards global marketability. This study presents an experimental approach to address these two key issues in the field of seasonal energy storage. Two small-scale laboratory tests were carried out to test paraffin wax as a completely novel component in the marginal area of seasonal storages. This is based on two material properties: As hydrophobic and mobile medium, the warmed and molten paraffin should actively seal the fissures and holes in the event of leakage. Additionally, the latent heat storage properties of the paraffin wax should increase the systems' total storage capacity and reduce lateral heat losses via its low thermal conductivity. With retardation periods from 2.5 to 4 hours, the results show an effective phase change effect of the paraffin wax, which reduces energy losses and allows to buffer short-term, intensive loading and unloading processes. By storing up to 138 kJ/kg energy in the paraffin wax, increased capacities of application-scale pit storages by up to 40.70 MWh are to be expected. Additionally, the self-healing features could be successfully demonstrated: With only small losses of between 1.5 and 17%, the paraffin wax effectively sealed artificially incised leaks. Thereby, the mechanism was most effective for local defects. Following these positive demonstrations of feasibility, technical design questions still remain, which concern prevention of deformation of the paraffin wax. Once solved, this new component can then provide a path for further optimization of seasonal heat storage technologies.

The metallurgical industry is integral to industrial development. As technology advances and industrial demand grows, the annual output of metallurgical waste slag continues to rise. Combined with the substantial historical stockpile, this has made the utilization of metallurgical slag a new research focus. This study comprehensively sums up the composition and fundamental characteristics of metallurgical waste slag. It delves into the application potential of non-ferrous metal smelting waste slag, such as copper slag, nickel slag, and lead slag, in both sensible and latent heat storage. In sensible heat storage, copper slag, with its low cost and high thermal stability, is suitable as a storage material. After appropriate treatment, it can be combined with other materials to produce composite phase change energy storage materials, thus expanding its role into latent heat storage. Nickel slag, currently mainly used in infrastructure materials, still needs in-depth research to confirm its suitability for sensible heat storage. Nevertheless, in latent heat storage, it has been utilized in making the support framework of composite phase change materials. While there are no current examples of lead slag being used in sensible heat storage, the low leaching concentration of lead and zinc in lead slag concrete under alkaline conditions offers new utilization ideas. Given the strong nucleation effect of iron and impurities in lead slag, it is expected to be used in the skeleton preparation of composite phase change materials. Besides the aforementioned waste slags, other industrial waste slags also show potential as sensible heat storage materials. This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of non-ferrous metal waste slag as energy storage materials. It analyses the pros and cons of their practical applications, elaborates on relevant research progress, technical hurdles, and future directions, all with the goal of enhancing their effective use in heat storage.

Sharing renewable energies, reducing energy consumption and optimizing energy management in an attempt to limit environmental problems (air pollution, global warming, acid rain, etc.) has today become a genuine concern of scientific engineering research. Furthermore, with the drastic growth of requirements in building and industrial worldwide sectors, the need for proper techniques that allow enhancement in the thermal performance of systems is increasingly being addressed. It is worth noting that using sensible and latent heat storage materials (SHSMs and phase change materials (PCMs)) for thermal energy storage mechanisms can meet requirements such as thermal comfort in buildings when selected correctly. However, as the operating temperature changes, a series of complex technical issues arise, such as heat transfer issues, leaks, corrosion, subcooling, supercooling, etc. This paper reviews the most recent research advances in the area of sensible and latent heat storage through the porous media as potential technology while providing useful information for researchers and engineers in the energy storage domain. To this end, the state and challenges of PCMs incorporation methods are drawn up, and an updated database of various research is provided while discussing the conclusions concerning the sensible and latent heat storage in porous media, their scopes of application and impact on energy consumption. In the light of this non-exhaustive review, it turns out that the adoption of porous matrices improves the thermal performance of systems, mitigates energy consumption and drops CO2 emissions while ensuring thermal comfort within buildings. In addition, at the representative elementary volume (REV) and pore scales, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is examined as an alternative method to the commonly used, traditional numerical methods. These two approaches are compared based on results available in the literature. Through these means, their ability to handle latent and sensible heat storage process in a porous medium is demonstrated. To sum up, to be more complete, perspectives of sensible and latent energy storage technologies are covered.