Thermophysical properties of n-alkane system for low temperature thermal energy storage

Nogueira, Bernardo A.; Nikitin, Timur; Diogo, Hermínio P.; Fausto, Rui; Fareleira, João; Caetano, Fernando J. P.; Sequeira, Maria Carolina

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/19412

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Authors

Nogueira, Bernardo A.

Caetano, Fernando J. P.

Sequeira, Maria Carolina

Abstract(s)

Over the past few decades, the escalating need for energy has posed a significant and pressing challenge. For centuries, fossil fuels stood as the dominant energy source; however, due to their dwindling availability and environmental complications, renewable energies have emerged as the promising solution for the future [1]. The intermittent nature of renewable energy sources often results in a disconnect between energy production and consumption, underscoring the vital role of energy storage technologies in enhancing clean energy utilization [2]. Among various energy storage solutions, thermal energy storage (TES) shines as one of the most promising options, offering substantial energy storage capacity at a relatively low cost [3]. In this context, phase change materials (PCMs) are particularly crucial, namelyfor active cooling systems. N-alkanes have been widely investigated for TES applications due to their singular characteristics including their phase transition performance, among others [4]. The objective of this work is to characterize selected n-alkane systems, involving the construction of the solid-liquid binary phase diagrams, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman Spectroscopy. Additionally, the present research efforts seek to obtain the thermal conductivity of these systems. The ongoing investigations play a critical role towards understanding the properties of these systems, enabling to predict their thermal characteristics and performance as PCMs for TES applications. Particularly, for new PCMs phase equilibrium studies are essential to select the appropriate systems with the desired properties for each application. This work is focused on binary systems composed by odd and even alkanes, in particular the binary mixtures C8–C10, C9–C10, C9–C11 and C10–C12. These systems revealed different solid-liquid phase equilibrium behaviour at low temperatures, although three of these four systems exhibited promising capabilities to be used for TES applications at low temperatures. Detailed results on these binary systems will be presented and discussed.