What are
Phase Change Materials?
- Materials that have large amount heat stored in the
form of latent heat which is absorbed or released
when the materials change state from solid to liquid
or vice versa.
- The
release / absorption of heat takes place at almost
constant temperature depending upon the type of PCM
- The
process of heat absorption is also known as passive
cooling, therefore these materials are also called
passive cooling material.
- The heat
absorption / release process can be repeated over a
number of cycles (~3000 or more) without any change
in the physical or chemical property.
PCM
Properties
- Very
high latent heat
- Easily
customised for specific temperature requirements
- Easy to
handle. Can be filled in a variety of
encapsulations
- Cost
effective
- High
stability over long periods of time
- Stable
performance over repeated phase change cycles
- Limited
/ no supercooling
- Low / no
flammability
- Non
toxic and non combustible
TYPES OF PCMs
PCM can be
classified into two broad categories:
Organic
PCMs
- Waxes
- Alcohols
Inorganic
PCMs
- Hydrated salts with additives
- Water / ice
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How do PCMs
work?
PCM works on
the basic principle of Latent heat storage
- Solid PCM is
melted during the process it changes its phase
- The
Phase Change takes place at constant temperature where the
heat involved is called as latent heat
- In the reverse
process, (from liquid to solid) the stored latent heat is
released at a constant temperature
- This process can be repeated number of times
Advantages of
Phase Change Materials
Apart from
cost savings, PCMs are the ideal source for
environmentally aware and responsible industries and
individuals. The beauty of PCM is that anyone can
apply PCM technology to their operation, to improve
thermal management, cost and energy efficiencies.
Some advantages are listed below:
- Insurance
against power failure in critical applications
- Energy saving
- Cost saving
- Shifting of
peak power loads to off-peak hours
- Human comfort
in adverse conditions
- A green
concept - reduces pollution
Who can
benefit from the PCM technology ?
PCM provides
energy efficient solutions for both industrial as well as
personal use. It can be used across industries like
Building and Piping products and Insulation,
Biopharmaceutical Transportation, Transportation of
Agriculture and Floriculture produce, Telecommunications
and Heat sinks, Hot and Cold Storage, Boiler and Hot Water
industries, in-fact any industry looking to exploit
off-peak electricity tariffs.
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