Experimental study on the selection of phase change materials for low temperature applications

Storage and transport of temperature sensitive products have become an important issue worldwide. The enhancement of thermal performance of cold application is under investigation and implementing thermal energy storage (TES) systems by using phase change materials (PCM) is one of the solutions to better storage. Hence, the selection of the suitable PCM for each specific application is an important matter. In this paper, a TES system using PCM for low temperature applications such as commercial freezers is studied. A set of PCM formulations based on ammonium chloride – water binary system were tested and analyzed to provide information useful for the selection of PCM with regards to their melting range, latent heat, stability under cycling, and cost. Thermal cycling was conducted to determine the thermal reliability of the PCM and the thermal properties were determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis.

► Storage and transport of perishable products are actually of great interest.
► Thermal energy storage using PCM is a possible solution for cold storage.
► The key point is the selection of the PCM for each specific application.
► A wide range of PCM were tested and analyzed to be selected.
►  Thermal cycling and DSC analysis were performed.