IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v8y2017i1d10.1038_s41467-017-01608-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optically-controlled long-term storage and release of thermal energy in phase-change materials

Author

Listed:
  • Grace G. D. Han

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Huashan Li

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Jeffrey C. Grossman

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Thermal energy storage offers enormous potential for a wide range of energy technologies. Phase-change materials offer state-of-the-art thermal storage due to high latent heat. However, spontaneous heat loss from thermally charged phase-change materials to cooler surroundings occurs due to the absence of a significant energy barrier for the liquid–solid transition. This prevents control over the thermal storage, and developing effective methods to address this problem has remained an elusive goal. Herein, we report a combination of photo-switching dopants and organic phase-change materials as a way to introduce an activation energy barrier for phase-change materials solidification and to conserve thermal energy in the materials, allowing them to be triggered optically to release their stored latent heat. This approach enables the retention of thermal energy (about 200 J g−1) in the materials for at least 10 h at temperatures lower than the original crystallization point, unlocking opportunities for portable thermal energy storage systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Grace G. D. Han & Huashan Li & Jeffrey C. Grossman, 2017. "Optically-controlled long-term storage and release of thermal energy in phase-change materials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01608-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01608-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01608-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-017-01608-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Feng, Daili & Feng, Yanhui & Qiu, Lin & Li, Pei & Zang, Yuyang & Zou, Hanying & Yu, Zepei & Zhang, Xinxin, 2019. "Review on nanoporous composite phase change materials: Fabrication, characterization, enhancement and molecular simulation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 578-605.
    2. Grace C. Thaggard & Kyoung Chul Park & Jaewoong Lim & Buddhima K. P. Maldeni Kankanamalage & Johanna Haimerl & Gina R. Wilson & Margaret K. McBride & Kelly L. Forrester & Esther R. Adelson & Virginia , 2023. "Breaking the photoswitch speed limit," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Kishore, Ravi Anant & Bianchi, Marcus V.A. & Booten, Chuck & Vidal, Judith & Jackson, Roderick, 2021. "Enhancing building energy performance by effectively using phase change material and dynamic insulation in walls," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    4. Umair, Malik Muhammad & Zhang, Yuang & Iqbal, Kashif & Zhang, Shufen & Tang, Bingtao, 2019. "Novel strategies and supporting materials applied to shape-stabilize organic phase change materials for thermal energy storage–A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 846-873.
    5. Turunen, Konsta & Yazdani, Maryam Roza & Puupponen, Salla & Santasalo-Aarnio, Annukka & Seppälä, Ari, 2020. "Cold-crystallizing erythritol-polyelectrolyte: Scaling up reliable long-term heat storage material," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    6. Maleki, Mahdi & Imani, Abolhassan & Ahmadi, Rouhollah & Banna Motejadded Emrooz, Hosein & Beitollahi, Ali, 2020. "Low-cost carbon foam as a practical support for organic phase change materials in thermal management," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    7. Huang, Xinyu & Du, Zhao & Li, Yuanji & Li, Ze & Yang, Xiaohu & Li, Ming-Jia, 2024. "Optimal design on fin-metal foam hybrid structure for melting and solidification phase change storage: An experimental and numerical study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    8. Yin, Qianqian & Zhu, Ge & Wang, Ruikun & Zhao, Zhenghui, 2024. "Enhancing the thermal storage performance of biochar/paraffin composite phase change materials: Effect of oleophobic modification of biochar," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    9. Paul, John & Pandey, A.K. & Mishra, Yogeshwar Nath & Said, Zafar & Mishra, Yogendra Kumar & Ma, Zhenjun & Jacob, Jeeja & Kadirgama, K. & Samykano, M. & Tyagi, V.V., 2022. "Nano-enhanced organic form stable PCMs for medium temperature solar thermal energy harvesting: Recent progresses, challenges, and opportunities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    10. Golmohamadi, Hessam & Larsen, Kim Guldstrand & Jensen, Peter Gjøl & Hasrat, Imran Riaz, 2022. "Integration of flexibility potentials of district heating systems into electricity markets: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    11. Chen, Changzhong & Chen, Rong & Zhao, Tangyuan & Wang, Linge, 2022. "A comparative study of linear polyurea and crosslinked polyurea as supports to stabilize polyethylene glycol for thermal energy storage," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 535-547.
    12. Xu, Z.Y. & Wang, R.Z., 2019. "Absorption seasonal thermal storage cycle with high energy storage density through multi-stage output," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 1086-1096.
    13. Chang, Yunwei & Gu, Heng & Yao, Xiaoyan & Qing, Chunyao & Zou, Deqiu, 2024. "Preparation of a novel microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM)/adipic acid ceramic composite and its thermal performance," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01608-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.