Abstract:
Efficient energy utilization is helpful to promote the use of renewable energy resources such as solar energy. The depletion and scarcity are well known issues faced with the conventional energy resources. Hence, it is need of the hour to utilize thermal energy in an efficient manner to counter these issues. Therefore, it is essential to design a thermal energy storage system which can have high energy storage density. Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) is preferred choice for storing thermal energy in a compact space compared to the sensible heat thermal energy storage (SHTES). However, previous literature report various issues associated with design and development of LHTES such as low thermal conductivity of the storage materials phase change materials (PCMs), improper heat transfer, etc. Hence, it is required to use techniques to enhance the rate of heat transfer while charging /discharging of LHTES. Further, heat transfer can be increased by proper considerations of design and operational parameters. This paper summarizes the design modifications in recent years that improve the effectiveness of LHTES for various applications.
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