Biosourced organic materials for latent heat storage: An economic and eco-friendly alternative

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) 2019-12, Vol.188, p.116067, Article 116067
• Main Authors: Duquesne, M., Mailhé, C., Ruiz-Onofre, K., Achchaq, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air conditioners; Air conditioning; Biosourced organic phase change materials; Calorimetry; Crystallization; Differential scanning calorimetry; Energy efficiency; Energy storage; Engineering Sciences; Environmental impact; Fatty acids; Flux density; Heat; Heat storage; Heat ventilation and air-conditioning; Infrared imaging; Latent heat; Organic materials; Palmitic acid; Petroleum; Phase change materials; Prototypes; Screening; Screening and selection; Thermal energy; Thermal energy storage; Thermography; Thermophysical properties; Ventilation
• ISSN: 0360-5442; 1873-6785
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2019.116067

This work deals with the study of bio-sourced organic Phase change materials (BO-PCM) to replace petroleum-based ones currently in use in an installation coupling a Heat Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) system with a module of Thermal Energy Storage (TES). The most adapted ones are selected to reduce their cost and their environmental impact while ensuring a satisfactory operation and an excellent energy efficiency of the building in which they are integrated. The screening step leads to the identification of the BO-PCM criteria of interest, their non-comprehensive listing relying on an accelerated screening based on infrared thermography and the refinement of the results obtained with Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Two eutectic mixtures of fatty acids (88% capric acid and 12% palmitic acid) and another one (83% capric acid and 17% myristic acid) are identified as promising economic and eco-friendly alternatives. Presenting crystallization/meting temperatures in the 24.58–26.10 °C and 21.36–24.14 °C range respectively, these 2 BO-PCM could compete with petroleum-based ones as latent heat storage material in the HVAC-TES prototype due to their interesting thermophysical properties, their low-cost, their low hazard, their renewable origin and their energy density in the range of the three petroleum-based PCM currently in use in this prototype. •Latent heat storage.•Organic biosourced phase change materials.•Replacement of petroleum based materials.•HVAC system coupled with a thermal energy storage module. .