Seeking new low temperature energy storage systems: n-alkanes as phase change materials

• Main Author: Sequeira, Maria Carolina
• Publication Date: 2024
• Other Authors: Nogueira, Bernardo A., Nikitin, Timur, Caetano, Fernando J. P., Fareleira, João M. N. A., Fausto , Rui, Diogo, Herminio
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/19418
• topic: Thermal Energy Storage; Low temperature; n-alkanes; phase change materials; PCM

Over the last decades, the increasing need for energy has been a tremendous challenge. Until now, fossil fuels have been the dominant energy source, however, due to their environmental consequences, renewable energies are the promising solution for the future.1 Nevertheless, the intermittent nature of most renewable energy sources often leads to a discrepancy between the energy produced and its consumption, which highlights the crucial role of energy storage technologies in enhancing clean energy utilization.2 From all energy storage solutions, thermal energy storage (TES) is one of the most promising options, showing substantial energy storage capacity at an acceptable cost.3 For these applications, phase change materials (PCMs) are particularly important, especially for low temperature energy storage systems. Linear alkanes (n-alkanes) have been studied as good candidates for TES applications mainly due to their singular phase transition performance, among others.4 In the present work, it has also been studied the differences due to the odd-even carbon chain number on the solid-liquid equilibrium properties that these materials can present, which is a key aspect crucial to characterize the systems for an upcoming use as PCMs. 4,5 to be used as new PCMs For TES applications, solid-liquid phase equilibrium is determinant to characterize the phase transitions which are more important for the application of these systems, as new PCMs. As an example, in the logistics associated to the transport of perishable consumables, like vaccines and other pharmaceutical products, TES plays an important role. In the present context, this work aims at the characterization of some selected n-alkane binary systems that can be used for energy storage applications at low temperatures, including the construction of the solid-liquid binary phase diagrams at sub-zero temperatures using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), hot stage microscopy (HSM) and Raman spectroscopy. The studied systems composed by odd and even n-alkanes, have showed different solid-liquid equilibrium behaviour. The HSM and Raman spectroscopy were fundamental to obtain the binary phase diagrams, but also to visualize the changes taking place in real time as a function of temperature and often the identification of the different solid and liquid phases exhibited by these systems. This work presents some preliminary phase equilibrium data, which, to the knowledge of the authors, are not available in the literature, and are presently being prepared for publication in an international scientific journal. The presentation will also include comparisons with spread literature data, when available. All these studied systems have promising characteristics for low temperature energy storage. With this work, it is also demonstrated how solid-liquid phase equilibrium studies are a central key to select the most adequate phase change material for a specific TES application.