Nano-Composite Materials for Various Thermal Energy Storage Systems for Sustainable and Renewable Energy Applications

Phase change materials (PCMs) have been under investigation for a considerable amount of time due to their high latent energy storage capacity during constant temperature phase change processes. Although PCMs have characteristic features to be used in Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage (LHTES) systems, their low thermal conductivity degrades the performance of LHTES systems. To solve this issue, dispersing conductive metal nanoparticles into PCM, inserting highly conductive fins, and use of a porous material as a thermal enhancer has been suggested by researchers. In the present thesis, the effects of using nano-PCM and metal fins on the thermal performance of an LHTES system during charging and discharging processes have been investigated. Different experimental setups for the purposes of thermal energy storage and air conditioning applications have been developed. The results indicated that by using nanoPCM/ combination of PCM and metal fin, the time requires for the charging/discharging process was reduced.