A review on supercooling of Phase Change Materials in thermal energy storage systems

Currently, one major research stream in such systems is improving the efficiency of heat exchangers and heat carriers. Hence, studying thermal behavior and thermophysical properties of heat storages is of great importance. In this study, we review a common but not very well-known problem of supercooling of Phase Change Materials (PCM). Supercooling is a thermophysical property of PCMs that is problematic in thermal storage applications. This review looks at supercooling from another point of view and investigates applications (such as specialized thermal storage applications) that can put supercooling into operation. To achieve this, development of techniques to increase state stability and designing reliable and stable supercooled heat storage systems will be investigated. The study will look at the thermal energy storage of supercooled liquids, degree and measurement of supercooling. Furthermore, factors that influence degree of supercooling and their effect on output capacity will be discussed. It looks at the supercooled material in four major categories and looks into the mechanisms for triggering crystallization in supercooled liquids. Applications including solar thermal storage will be the discussed in details. From the results discussed in this review researchers will identify and gain insight into supercooling control techniques, which are necessary for developing efficient heat exchangers, and also essential for promoting adoption of sustainable renewable energies.