Phase change materials (PCMs) are a viable option for compact thermal energy storage.
Effective designs using PCMs require accurate knowledge of the thermal and
physical properties, but for many PCMs these are not well known, and when known
the knowledge is sometimes contradictory. Therefore, physical characteristics of several
promising PCMs (K3PO4·7H2O, FeCl3·6H2O, Mn(NO3)2·4H2O) were determined.
In addition, a life cycle assessment (LCA) of dodecanoic acid in a solar thermal energy
storage system was carried out to determine the environmental impact for energy
storage. This LCA showed that dodecanoic acid in a solar energy system would save
energy and facilitate CO2 reductions. However, the economic cost is high and is unlikely
to be implemented without incentives. Finally an experimental testbed for a
solar thermal system utilizing dodecanoic acid was built. Preliminary measurements
demonstrated the utility of this system.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:NSHD.ca#10222/50394 |
| Date | 21 March 2014 |
| Creators | Allred, Paul |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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