Visualization study of the shrinkage void distribution in thermal energy storage capsules of different geometry

The presence of concentrated shrinkage voids in thermal energy storage systems employing encapsulated phase change material can cause serious problems when one attempts to melt the solidified phase change material for the next thermal cycle. Experiments were performed and void-formation phenomena with rectangular flat plate, spherical, and torus shape capsules were investigated. The initial void growth, distribution and the total void in the capsule were photographically studied from transparent capsules using cyclohexane, hexadecane, butanediol and octadecane as phase change materials. The observations on freezing process and the shrinkage void distribution are presented.