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Storage of Renewable Energy Using Phase Change Materials (PCMs)

Conference Paper · November 2012

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 PLUSS®
Storage of Renewable Energy Using Phase Change Materials (PCMs)

Authors:
Nidhi Agrawal; Pluss Polymers Pvt. Ltd., nidhi@pluss.co.in
Suman Kumari; Pluss Polymers Pvt. Ltd., suman@pluss.co.in
Devendra Jain; Pluss Polymers Pvt. Ltd., djain@pluss.co.in

Abstract

Renewable energy from natural resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal accounted for as much as 16.7% of
the total energy consumption in the world (2010). It is expected to increase exponentially in the coming years. Solar
Energy in India is expected to touch 20000 MW of electricity generation by 2022 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National
Solar Mission. Use of renewable energy, benefits the environment, strengthens our energy security, and helps improve
our economy. The challenge today is not of renewable energy generation but energy storage. As an attempt to store
and utilize renewable energy, Phase Change Materials (PCMs) play a major role. These materials work on the basic
principle of storing energy while changing phases between the three states of matter. Of the three states, liquid-solid
transition is widely utilized. The thermal energy is stored as latent heat of fusion/solidification. A wide range of PCMs
ranging from -30oC to +90oC have been indigenously developed for the first time in India. In addition to the
commercialization of PCMs of different temperature range, research and development for enhancing the properties of
the end commercial product is also being carried out. A few of the properties of PCMs being researched on to improve
their commercial acceptance are: increasing the heat transfer rate and simplifying the process of charging for heating
applications. This includes the use of Microwaves, which are used worldwide for heating and cooking. PCMs have
also posed a problem due to leakage of encapsulations during the life time of a
product. To address this, successful research has been carried out to develop form stable PCM where the PCM does
not lose its shape during phase transition. The presentation will elaborate on the above and specifically provide the
current state of the art of PCMs, their future in India and comparison with rest of the world. The paper stresses on
commercial applications of the developed PCMs to enable low cost thermal energy storage solutions for the
developing world.

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Why conserve renewable energy?

In India there are a number of factors which contribute to the current situation of energy crisis. There has
been a sharp rise in the consumption of energy since the last decade of 20th century. Hydroelectricity is a
cheap source of energy but is inflexible in terms of location. Other renewable energy resources such as solar
power, geo-thermal, tidal power are in a nascent stage of development and are commercially unviable.
Non-renewable energy is the major resource of total energy resources of the country; For example, coal, oil
or gas fired power stations produce electricity. Petroleum derivatives are used in the transportation sector.
Major problem here is that India has to import most of these non renewable petroleum products. The need
for environmental durability in everything we do and produce has become one of the most critical issues
today. How we create, use and recycle various forms of energy is an important factor.

Phase Change Materials (PCMs): A Method of conserving renewable and non renewable energy

What are PCMs?

PCMs are energy storage materials that have considerably higher thermal energy storage densities compared
to sensible heat storage materials. They absorb or release large quantities of energy at a constant
temperature by undergoing a change of phase.

There are three states of matter – solid, liquid and gas. A phase change is a change between two of these
states. For example, in a boiling saucepan, water becomes steam – it changes from its liquid state to its
gas state. The ‘magic’ of these phase changes is that it takes a lot of energy to pass through them.

Studies conducted to compare phase change and sensible heat storages have shown that a significant
reduction in storage volume can be achieved using PCM compared to sensible heat storage [1]. For example,
to store the same amount of energy from a unit solar collector area, rock (sensible heat storage material)
requires more than seven times the storage mass of paraffin wax, five times the storage mass of medicinal
paraffin and more than eight times the storage mass of Na2SO4.10H2O. [2, 3]

A latent heat thermal storage system has following three main components:
1. A PCM suitable for the desired temperature range;
2. A container for the PCM (encapsulations of PCMs);
3. A heat exchange surface for transferring the heat from heat source to PCM and from PCM to the
heat sink. [4]

Applications: How does PCM conserve Energy?

1. Conservation of Solar energy

Various applications in India, like crop drying, solar water heating, solar cooking is dependent on
sun’s heating rays. Solar energy usage sounds very effective and economic, but in actual use the
energy is available only one third the times in 24hours. Remaining number of hours is left in dark and
more specifically heat deficient. Hence to use the solar energy effectively and efficiently, the
requirement is to save it, when it is in abundance and use it when there is scarcity, i.e., at night. Many
research papers prove the concept but the utilization of the concept has not been done to its full extent

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[5-12]. The papers referred here, use oil and stone to conserve solar energy. Results show that the
backup time obtained here is not sufficient for the actual application. The reason behind this lies in
the fact that the energy stored during the daytime gets conserved in the form of specific heat which
does not last long.

Figure 1

PCMs present a solution to this problem. The energy in PCMs during the daytime gets stored in the
form of latent/sensible heat. This heat is stored at a temperature corresponding to the transition
temperature of the product. savE® OM48, savE® OM53, savE® HS58 are being explored for this
purpose. Here, either of the mentioned products absorbs heat during the day time and releases the heat
later in the day thereby maintaining the constant temperature for the application before the next
sunshine. These PCMs find application in applications such as solar drying and solar water heating.
HS89 is useful in solar cooking. The line and bar graph below shows the temperature profile and
enthalpy distribution of savE® OM53 (Organic based) respectively.

Figure 2: T-History and enthalpy graph of savE® OM53

Solar dryers with thermal storage

The thermal storage with a solar air heater allows continuous drying during partial clouds and/or
evening/night hours, increasing the utility and reliability of the solar dryers.

Most parts of India receive mean daily solar radiation in the range of 5-7 kWh/m2, and have more than
275 sunny days in a year. Hence, solar drying has a high potential of diffusion in the country, and offers a
viable option in the domestic and small farm sector. It is identified as an appropriate technology for
Indian masses, and has numerous advantages such as

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1. No recurring cost,
2. Potential to reduce drudgery,
3. High nutritional value of food,
4. High durability, and
5. No thermal shocks.

Figure 3 depicts of a solar drying system as proposed by Pluss.

Figure 3: Proposed set up for solar dryer

There is need to focus on hybrid solar drying with latent heat storage materials. The experimental work
done by researchers has limited the use of latent heat to paraffin wax only. Paraffin wax itself suffers
from a drawback of low thermal conductivity. Hence the target should be to employ the materials which
can utilize the latent heat thereby using its steady and moderate temperature maintenance properties. The
thermal conductivity problems can also be resolved by using various thermal conductivity enhancement
techniques; like introducing fins, adding high conductivity particles, inserting metallic foams, metal fibers
etc.

Another application for storing solar energy is in Concentrated Solar Power generation. Concentrated
solar power (CSP) systems use mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal
energy onto a small area. Electrical power is produced when the concentrated radiation is converted to
heat, which drives a heat engine connected to an electrical power generator. But the dependence on solar
energy only inhibits the performance of the power plant and hence generation of electricity. Use of higher
temperature PCMs allows the continuous generation of electricity. To increase the efficiency of solar
plant, Michels and Pitz-Paal used a cascade of multiple phase change materials (PCM) which include:
sodium nitrate (NaNO3), an eutectic mixture of potassium nitrate and potassium chloride (KNO3/KCl) and
potassium nitrate (KNO3) [14].

Use of proper design of heat exchanger and high thermal conductivity of the PCM allows the solar plant
to generate electricity continuously.

2. Space Heating/cooling
Plaster board has been in constant development since 1980s. Microencapsulated paraffin capsules
available from BASF and others have been incorporated in gypsum during manufacturing of the
board. The boards may be installed on the inside or outside of the building. Boards, when installed

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inside allow utilization of 90-95% of the theoretical Thermal Energy Storage (TES) capacity against
10-15% if on the outside wall (outside the insulation). Use of such boards has been limited due to the
high cost and consequently a long payback period of 8-12 years. UPM, Spain have developed and
patented a board, based on use of 45% paraffin microcapsules compared to 26% normally used. With
this a payback period of one to two years is achieved. It reduces up to 40% of the energy consumption
of the building [13].

Phase Change Material can be used for space / floor heating applications in different forms. One of
them is keeping the PCM filled panels or blister packs under the floor with suitable arrangements. In
this application the PCM can also be used as an energy bank in bulk containers like tank and suitable
fluid flow is provided through the tank to get back the stored energy. In general solar energy is being
used to store in the form of heat into the PCMs and the stored energy is used in the cold times (evening).
If any waste heat sources are available, these can also be used.

In solar energy storage method, both air and water can be used as the heat transfer fluid to collect the
heat energy from solar radiation. The heated fluid is passed through the PCM and thus the heat energy
is transferred (stored) in the PCM during the day time. The excess heat from the solar energy gets stored
in the PCM and the room temperature is maintained at comfortable condition. During evening / night,
the fluid is passed between the room / floor. The energy stored in the PCM is utilized by the passing
fluid. Thus the temperature of the room is always maintained in a comfortable range throughout the
day.

Further, apart from the above methods, inside walls of the building can be lined with the panels filled
with PCM. Here, electrical load is used to charge the PCM. Depending on the environment, suitable
temperature Phase Change Material is selected. Phase Change Material such as savE® HS22, savE®
HS24, savE® HS29, savE® OM32, etc from Pluss Polymers are suitable for above applications.

Figure 4: T-History and enthalpy graph of savE® HS22

Pluss is also working on use of form stable PCM for use of these applications which will allow a very
high PCM content in the wall panels. Initial trials indicate up to 80% content is possible.

3. Cold chain
PCM finds large scale application in refrigerators. Many places in India face long hours of power cut.
During this period, temperature of the cooling unit shoots up at a very high rate. Technically the problem
seems to be irresolvable, as the functioning of the refrigerator is dependent on availability of

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electricity. PCM works as boost to the cold chain industries where such problems become a barrier to
further growth. Variety of PCMs can be useful for such applications, depending on the temperature,
manufacturer/user wants to maintain inside the unit. Figure 5 shows the two applications where PCM
is installed for transportation.

(a) (b)
Figure 5(a): Transportation in vehicles. An alternative way of transporting at constant temperature
Figure 5(b): Polystyrene foam box incorporating PCM for pharmaceutical transportation

Range of PCMs commercially available from Pluss Polymers include FROST®, savE® HS7N, savE®
HS10N, savE® HS15N, savE® HS23N are commercially available. All the above mentioned PCMs are
hydrated salt (Inorganic) based. Specialty of these products is that they come with a high latent heat
so as to provide the minimum of 4-6 hours of back up time during black out. A domestic refrigerator
where the inside temperature of the freezer ranges from -22oC to -5oC, savE® HS7N stores the cold
energy and utilizes it during black out. Similar to this application, is for the freezers on wheel where
the ice cream needs to be kept at a temperature below -19oC, savE® HS 23N serves the purpose. Because
of the high latent available with the product, it maintains a temperature below -19oC for 12 hours or
more. Figure below shows the temperature profile of savE® HS7N during melting and freezing.
The bar graph along with it shows the enthalpy distribution of savE® HS7N between 5 degree
above and below the transition temperature. To interpret, each bar represents the enthalpy available in
savE® HS7N at each degree as the PCM passes the temperature difference of 10oC.

Figure 6: T-History and enthalpy graph of savE® HS7N

4. Conserving non-renewable resources

A few applications in India are fuel dependent which cause to environmental issues and do not make
it cost effective. Use of PCM in such applications reduces the cost involved with fuel consumption
and hence reducing the emission of harmful gases. For example in transportation of vaccines and

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other food products where the temperature is to be maintained in the range of 4-8oC, air conditioning
in AC operated vans can be replaced by PCMs panels. The panels filled with suitable PCMs like
FROST® is lined along the walls of the vehicle. Amount can be varied according to the backup hours
required. FROST® panels are charged by regular freezers before installing the panels in van. Similarly
savE® HS29 is used to maintain the temperature inside telecom shelters whenever there is a power
cut. Panels can be arranged dependent on the space available. While the electricity is available, panels
get charged, i.e. PCM gets frozen below its freezing point and the stored cold energy is utilized
whenever temperature rises above 29oC, thereby maintaining the constant temperature without
dissipating harmful gases in the atmosphere, which would otherwise result from use of DG sets.

Application development
Conventional method of using any PCM is to fill in pouches and panels. These method leads to utilization
of 100% latent heat as against the PCMs which can be converted to be. However, the conventional
method suffers with the drawback of leakage. Encapsulation, if punctured due to mishandling or
packaging may lead to leakage of the PCMs at application site. Hence the requirement is to develop a PCM,
which remains solid even at 10 degree above the transition temperature. Form stable is not new in the field
of thermal storage but the techniques described in the literature are either complicated or suffer from the
drawback of low latent heat. Work has been done by Pluss Polymers to overcome the mentioned detriment.
Latent heat obtained from the composite of form stable PCM is above 200 kJ/kg, and is the most
desirable property for any PCM in any application. Form Stable PCMs are blends of polymers with the
PCM material which are then converted into polymeric sheets or pelletized. Figure 7 below shows the
application of form stable PCM in Jackets.

Figure 7: Jackets designed with pockets to carry PCM

Any raw PCM when in solid state causes discomfort to the user while working. Using form stable PCM
enables the user to bend and do any kind of work with complete flexibility. Moreover, the user always
remains protected from any kind of leakage due to puncturing of pouches.

PCM application: World Market Scenario

Building and construction application is the largest market for PCMs in terms of revenue. In 2010, it was
approximately $86.9 million and is expected to grow with a CAGR of 37.6% from the year 2010 to 2015.
Companies are mainly focusing on increasing awareness about the advantages of PCM in buildings. The
textile applications of PCMs are expected to grow at a CAGR of 38.5% from the year 2010 to 2015 [15].
The key players in this application market are Outlast Technologies, and Glacier Tek. These companies
are also partnering with branded textile and apparel companies such as Nike, Bison, Achidatex, KMA,

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Logistics and textiles B.V. for increasing awareness about the PCM integrated materials. Other key
players in the field which are actively working are BASF, Rubitherm, Climator, EPS and Entropy
solutions. They are focusing on introducing novel products to increase the thermal efficiency of the PCM
products. They are undergoing collaborations with the application/commercial users to increase the
awareness of thermal storage. PCM is in its initial stage of commercialization, and the prices of these
materials are higher than the other insulating materials like wood. Therefore, it becomes important on part
of PCM companies to establish strong marketing relationships with the end-users to convince them of the
advantages of using PCM products.
The prices are expected to reduce as the level of awareness increases, volumes grow and the products are
used in more and more applications. In practice cost of manufacturing of PCM is low but large sum of
money is spent on the Research and development, marketing and advertising, which then inflates the cost
of PCM products. In near future, with the adoption of this technology on large scale, manufacturing
expenses of PCM products will come down.

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