Incorporating phase change materials in concrete pavement to melt snow and ice

This paper discusses the use of phase change materials (PCM) in concrete pavement as a method to store energy which can be used as a heat source during cooling events to melt ice/snow. The experimental program includes: (1) use of low-temperature differential scanning calorimetry to evaluate thermal properties of PCM, and (2) use of large-scale concrete slabs containing PCM to evaluate the ability of the PCM concrete to melt snow on the surface of the concrete pavement. The temperature in the concrete slabs and the snow melting rate were monitored as quantitative measurements of the efficiency of the PCM in the concrete. In addition, time-lapse images were taken. Two approaches were used to incorporate PCM in concrete: placing the PCM in lightweight aggregate (LWA) which was then mixed into the concrete, and placing the PCM in embedded metal pipes embedded in the slab during concrete casting. In this study, paraffin oil was use as a PCM that is effective in releasing heat near the freezing temperature of PCM when the PCM undergoes a phase transformation from liquid to solid. The heat released during the phase transformation can melt ice and snow on the concrete pavement surface. The results indicate that incorporating PCM in concrete pavement is not only feasible, but also practical.     

Multifunctional HDPE/CNTs/PW composite phase change materials with excellent thermal and electrical conductivities

The risk of leakage and low thermal conductivity severely hinder the wide application of phase change materials(PCMs).In this work,the high-density polyethylene/carbon nanotubes(HDPE/CNTs)porous scaffolds were successfully fabricated via a sacrificial template method followed by the general melt blending and water solvent etching.Subsequently,a series of paraffin wax HDPE/CNTs/PW composite PCMs were obtained combined with the simple vacuum impregnation method.The obtained HDPE/CNTs porous scaffolds can effectively avoid the leakage of PW,meanwhile,the thermal conductivity and electri-cal conductivity of HDPE/CNTs/PW-3:7 are increased by 2.94 times and 13 orders of magnitude compared with the HDPE/PW-3:7 respectively,also,it exhibits high phase change enthalpy(153.95 J/g for melting enthalpy and 152.82 J/g for crystallization enthalpy).From the above perspectives,the HDPE/CNTs/PW-3:7 has promising potential value in the application of light-to-thermal conversion,electro-to-thermal conversion and thermal energy storage.     

The durability of cementitious composites containing microencapsulated phase change materials

This study investigates the durability of cementitious composites containing microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs). First, the stability of the PCM's enthalpy of phase change was examined. A reduction of around 25% in the phase change enthalpy was observed, irrespective of PCM dosage and aging. Significantly, this reduction in enthalpy was not caused by mechanical damage that was induced during mixing, but rather by chemical interactions with dissolved SO₄^2- ions. Second, the influence of PCM additions on water absorption and drying shrinkage of PCM-mortar composites were examined. PCM microcapsules reduced the rate and extent of water sorption; the former was due to their non-sorptive nature which induces hindrances in moisture movement, and the latter was due to dilution, i.e., a reduction in the volume of sorptive cement paste. On the other hand, PCM inclusions did not influence the drying shrinkage of cementitious composites, due to their inability to restrain the shrinkage of the cement paste. The results suggest that PCMs exert no detrimental influences on, and, in specific cases, may even slightly improve the durability of cementitious composites.     

相变储能材料的研究与发展

储能技术是通过物理或化学变化将某种能量存储,然后在后续过程中释放利用的技术,现多用于电力系统、交通运输、太阳能利用和移动电子等设备中,能够有效节约能源和提高能源利用率。相变储能材料是相变储能技术的关键载体,对其应用起着重要作用。本文对相变储能材料的基本特征、应用领域、储能原理以及分类等方面作了简要的介绍。并依据成分分类,对目前国内外研究的无机类、有机类、金属基及复合类相变储能材料进行了综述。详细介绍了不同材料的种类、性质、优缺点、适用范围等。最后指出了当前相变储能材料存在的不足,并展望了相变储能材料未来的发展方向和应用前景。     

Numerical simulations to quantify the influence of phase change materials (PCMs) on the early- and later-age thermal response of concrete pavements

This paper employs a numerical simulation strategy to elucidate the influence of phase change materials (PCMs) on the thermal response of concrete pavements. Simulations of both the early- and late-age response of concrete pavements containing microencapsulated PCMs, with considerations of mixture proportions, PCM types, and structural and environmental boundary conditions, are carried out. The latent-heat response of PCMs is explicitly integrated into the model. The early-age simulations show significant reductions in peak hydration temperature and the heating/cooling rates when PCMs, either as a partial replacement of the cement paste or fine aggregates, are incorporated in concrete, resulting in reduced cracking probabilities. Simulations on mature pavements also indicate temperature and curling stress reductions when appropriate PCMs are used. PCM type(s) and dosage, depending on the imposed external temperature regimen, can be chosen based on the model to reduce the magnitude of critical stresses at both early- and late ages. The numerical model thus enables engineers and designers rationally design crack-resistant concrete pavements.     

相变储能材料及其应用研究进展

人类在面临化石能源枯竭的同时,对能量的利用率依然还停留在较低的水平。因此,在大力发展新能源的同时,着力研发节能环保新材料新技术具有十分重要的意义。相变材料(phase-change materials,PCM)是一种节能环保的储能材料,它在蓄热与温控等领域具有大规模商业应用的潜力。本文首先对相变储能材料的基本特征、工作原理以及分类等方面作了简要的介绍;并就相变储能材料在温控与蓄热等领域的应用与发展情况进行了具体的分析,指出了PCM的性能是制约其深入广泛应用的主要技术障碍。在此基础上,详细评述了PCM存在的主要问题以及针对这些问题开展的相关研究工作和最新发展动态,指出通过功能复合等新技术优化材料性能、设计新材料体系、拓展新的应用领域将是相变储能材料未来的主要发展方向。     

固固相变贮能材料研究现状与进展

本文综述了固固相变贮能材料的研究现状 ,详细讨论了其分类、性能及优缺点 ,展望了该领域的研究发展前景。     

Fabrication and characterization of novel meso-porous carbon/n-octadecane as form-stable phase change materials for enhancement of phase-change behavior

In this study, series of novel composite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared through vacuum impregnation by using meso-porous carbon as a supporting matrix and n-octadcane as PCMs. The meso-porous carbon material was prepared through one-pot co-assembly method, using resorcinol and formaldehyde as carbon precursor, tetraethoxysilane as silica sources and triblock copolymer F127 as a template. And the phase behaviors of n-octadcane confined in the nano-porous structure of the meso-porous carbon were further investigated. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy spectra show that n-octadecane was effectively encapsulated in the porous structure of mesoporous carbon and the composite PCMs were successfully prepared. Differential scanning calorimetry results confirm that the composite PCMs possess a good phase change behavior, fast thermal-response rate and excellent thermal cycling stability. In addition, the composite PCMs possess expected heat storage and heat release properties. All these results demonstrate that the composite PCMs possess good comprehensive property so that they can be used widely in energy storage systems.     

储能相变材料制备方法研究进展

潜热储能是充分利用太阳能等洁净能源的一种有效方法,储能相变材料具有潜热存储密度高、相变时保持温度基本不变等特点,在清洁能源应用领域表现出广阔应用前景。从机械法、物理法和化学法等几方面总结了储能相变材料制备方法,同时分析了各种方法的特点。     

Multi-walled carbon nanotube laden with D-Mannitol as phase change material: Characterization and experimental investigation

In this paper, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) were dispersed in D-Mannitol to prepare enhanced thermal conductive nanocomposites phase change materials (PCM) with 0.1% and 0.5% weight fraction. The PCM were tested for 100 thermal cycles and characterized by using techniques such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thremogravimetric analyser (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR). The effect of adding CNT on energy storage/release performance of DM was experimentally studied. Maximum thermal conductivity enhancement was found to be ～7% and ～32% respectively for 0.1–0.5?wt.% DM-CNT composites. It was observed from the crystallization kinetics study of DM that addition of CNT resulted in lowering the crystallization of DM. However after thermal cycling, the latent heat capacities decreased yet showed a high latent heat enthalpy of 241.16?kJ/kg. Experimental results showed that the total time for complete cycle reduced by ～25.7% for 0.5?wt.% DM-CNT. The analysis of the experimental results indicate that the proposed PCM nanocomposites exhibit excellent thermal and chemical stability with enhanced heat transfer characteristics.     

Paraffin/carbon aerogel phase change materials with high enthalpy and thermal conductivity

Two kinds of carbon aerogels, graphene aerogels (GA) and carbon nanotubes-graphene aerogels (CGA), were prepared by modified hydrothermal method. The form-stable phase change materials (PCMs) were fabricated by adsorbing paraffin into carbon aerogels. Morphology, structure, form stability and thermal property were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), in situ X-ray diffraction (in situ XRD) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The results showed that GA presented wrinkled surface textures with curling edges, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were interspersed or attached to GA sheets. The phase transition temperature and the phase change enthalpy of the GA/paraffin PCM composite were 48.7 °C and 223.2 J/g, respectively. Thermal and mechanical properties of PCM composites achieved a qualitative leap with the adding of carbon aerogels. The PCM composites had a thermal conductivity of about 2.182 W/m K at the carbon aerogels loading fraction of 2 wt%. The form-stable PCM composites with high thermal conductivity and high enthalpy could be promising for thermal energy storage applications in construction field.     

微胶囊相变材料研究进展

首先介绍了微胶囊相变材料及其组成,并就微胶囊相变材料的制备方法、性能改进、性能表征以及在能量利用和热交换领域、温度控制领域和军事领域上的应用进行了综述.     

Thermal behavior and energy storage of a suspension of nano-encapsulated phase change materials in an enclosure

The energy storage capability of a suspension of Nano-Encapsulated Phase Change Material (NEPCM) nanoparticles was addressed in an enclosure during the charging and discharging process. The nanoparticles contain a Phase Change Material (PCM) core, which are capable to absorb a notable quantity of thermal energy on melting. There is a heat pipe in the cavity at the bottom corner, which is enhanced by a layer of metallic matrix. The natural convection flow occurs due to a temperature gradient during the charging or discharging process. The particles of NEPCM move with the natural convection flow and contribute to heat transfer & storage of thermal energy. The regulating equations for the heat transfer & flow of the NEPCM suspension were established & converted in the non-dimensional type. The finite element method (FEM) was utilized in resolving the equations. The results show that there was a rise in the rate of heat transfer & storage of total energy with a rise in nanoparticles volume fraction. The decrease of the Stefan number from 0.2 to 0.6 increases the total stored energy by 25%. The fusion temperature is another important parameter in which its behavior depends on the charging or discharging process.     

石墨烯季戊四醇相变复合材料导热性能的分子动力学研究

低导热是限制储能材料实际应用的一大缺点,具有极高导热系数的石墨烯可作为导热填料有效改善储能材料的导热性能。本文通过反向非平衡分子动力学的方法,借助Materials Studio软件,模拟研究了石墨烯(GE)质量分数为0.5%、1%、1.5%、2%、2.5%、3%的石墨烯/季戊四醇(GE/PE)固-固相变复合材料的导热性能和内部相互作用。结果表明:石墨烯的添加可有效提升季戊四醇的导热性能,随着GE质量分数的增加,GE/PE复合相变材料的导热率、界面热导以及相互作用能均逐渐增大,且趋势幅度相一致,材料整体导热系数的增加归因于石墨烯结构的变化。本文可为石墨烯改善季戊四醇导热性的实验研究提供指导。     

Preparation and performance of shape-stable phase change materials based on carbonized-abandoned orange peel and paraffin

Phase change materials (PCMs) require an excellent matrix support material such as porous carbon materials. Orange peel, a discarded, readily available raw material, could potentially be used to prepare biological porous carbon material (BPCM) with abundant pores of uniform size and strong loading capacity through a vacuum freeing method and a carbonization process under nitrogen atmosphere. Herein, paraffin (PA) was encapsulated into BPCM by vacuum impregnation method to obtain environmentally friendly; recyclable PA/carbonized-abandoned orange peel (CAOP) shape-stable PCMs (PA/CAOP SS-PCMs). CAOP was composed of amorphous carbon and a certain degree of graphitization occurred, the best of which was observed following carbonization at 1000?°C. Further, at this temperature, the pores were abundant and PA loading was sufficient. PA/CAOP SS-PCMs were shown to undergo simple physical loading with no chemical interactions and to have good thermal stability and a maximum loading percentage of 88.46%; the calculated maximum loading percentage was of 88.07%. The temperature and latent heat during the melting of PA/CAOP SS-PCMs were 47.68?°C and 180.25?J/g, respectively, and the solidification process occurred 34.47?°C and 177.55?J/g, respectively. The composite exhibited excellent thermal stability and reliability after 200 thermal cycles. Therefore, it has very broad application prospects and value in the fields of energy saving and emission reduction, including solar energy, air conditioning storage cooling systems, and building cladding.     

Preparation of shape-stabilized phase change materials as temperature-adjusting powder

The shape-stabilized phase change materials (PCMs) composed of paraffin wax and silica were prepared in O/W emulsion with cetyl trimethylamine bromide as emulsifier and n-pentanol as assist emulsifier. The paraffin wax (with melting temperature of 29°C, crystallizing temperature of 26°C and latent heat of 142 J/g) served as latent heat storage material and the silica as supporting material, which prevented the leakage of the melted paraffin wax. Silica supporting material was formed in situ via hydrolysis and condensation from low-cost sodium silicate solution with chlorhydric acid and ammonium bicarbonate as neutralizing agent. The thermogravimetry (TG) curves show that the composite has a thermal stability superior to that of paraffin wax and that the content of paraffin wax in the composite is 65wt%. The maximum latent heat and its relevant melting point of composite are 95 J/g and 30°C, respectively.     

相变材料微胶囊研究进展

相变材料微胶囊有许多优点,如增加了热传导的面积,降低了相变材料与外界环境的反应活性并在相变发生时可以控制蓄能材料体积的变化.介绍了可作为芯材的相变材料及其主要性质,重点总结了2002年以来相变材料微胶囊的制备方法、表征与材料特点,同时讨论了国内外相变材料微胶囊在建筑节能、纺织及其他领域中的应用现状、存在的问题以及发展前景.     

Thermal Conductivity of High-Temperature Multicomponent Materials with Phase Change

This work focuses on the investigation of the effective thermal conductivity (λ_eff) of heterogeneous materials consisting of a phase change material (PCM) and expanded graphite (EG). These composites may be employed in latent heat storage systems, where a PCM stores energy by being heated to a temperature higher than its melting point (T _m), and releases it during solidification. For the determination of λ_eff, the steady-state comparative method was used and modified to measure composite samples at temperatures above T _m. Results were compared with the thermal conductivity of the pure PCMs, and a significant increase could be observed. The dependence of λ_eff on temperature, as well as the influence of the material microstructure on the enhancement of λ_eff, were examined. Paper presented at the Seventeenth European Conference on Thermophysical Properties, September 5–8, 2005, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.     

无机芯微胶囊相变储能材料制备、表征及其热物性研究

通过原位聚合法合成了Na2HPO4.12H2O@尿醛树脂微胶囊相变储能材料。考察了尿素和甲醛的物质的量比对所得微胶囊结构和形貌特征的影响。采用扫描电镜(SEM)观察微胶囊的表观形态,透射电镜(TEM)观察微胶囊的微观结构,傅里叶红外光谱(FT-IR)表征了微胶囊复合材料的成分,激光导热仪测量了微胶囊的导热系数,差示扫描量热仪(DSC)表征了微胶囊的相变特性,热重分析仪(TGA)测定了微胶囊质量与温度间的关系。结果表明,所制备出的微胶囊为球状壳/核结构,包封良好,球体粒径约为500nm,相变潜热约为121.2J/g,在30～84℃的温度范围内失重量<10%。该微胶囊相变储能材料具有一定的应用前景。     

On the feasibility of using phase change materials (PCMs) to mitigate thermal cracking in cementitious materials

Temperature changes driven by hydration reactions and environmental loading are a leading cause of thermal cracking in restrained concrete elements. This work describes preliminary investigations on the use of microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) as a means to mitigate such thermal cracking. Special attention is paid to quantify aspects of: heat absorption and release, the development of unrestrained/restrained thermal stresses and strains and the mechanical properties including: compressive strength, elastic modulus and fracture behavior. First, PCMs incorporated in cementitious systems absorb and release heat, which scales as a function of their dosage and enthalpy of phase change. Second, for restrained and unrestrained conditions and for equal temperature change, the thermal deformation and stresses developed are noted to be similar to a plain cement system independent of the PCM dosage. However, PCM additions are noted to reduce the rate of deformation and stress development so long as the phase transition is active. Third, while the presence of PCMs does depress the compressive strength and elastic modulus (in increasing proportion with dosage), the fracture toughness is impacted to a lesser degree. While of a preliminary nature, the studies highlight a novel means of exploiting phase transitions to control thermal stress evolutions in restrained elements.