Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2025

Asymmetric Thermoelectrochemical Cell for Harvesting Low-grade Heat under Isothermal Operation
Published on: February 5, 2020
Exploring the role of phase change materials in low-temperature solar thermal applications: an extensive overview
Gopi Vasudevan1, Guna Muthuvairavan1, Subbarama Kousik Suraparaju2
1Solar Energy Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Puducherry, Karaikal, Union Territory of Puducherry, 609609, India.
Abstract:
Solar energy is widely acknowledged as a renewable and environmentally friendly energy source. Efficient storage of heat energy is a crucial challenge in solar thermal applications. Phase change materials (PCMs) have gained prominence due to their unique ability to store and release thermal energy through phase transition. The advantageous characteristic of PCMs is their low melting point, facilitating efficient heat storage and retrieval through latent heat of vaporization. This comprehensive review focuses on selecting suitable PCMs for diverse applications, considering their melting point and thermal properties. PCMs with high heat capacity and excellent solar radiation absorption are favored in solar applications, especially for systems requiring large thermal energy storage capacities. This review article underscores the importance of PCMs in low-temperature (0-120 °C) solar thermal applications such as solar desalination, solar water heaters, solar cookers, solar dryers, solar air heaters, and solar chimneys, emphasizing their role in practical heat storage and release. By carefully selecting PCMs based on melting point and thermal properties, the performance and efficiency of solar thermal systems can be optimized, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.
Related Concept Videos
Phase Changes
A substance melts or freezes at a temperature called its melting point and boils or condenses at its boiling point. These temperatures depend on pressure. High pressure favors the denser form of the substance, so typically, high pressure...
Phase Transitions
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
Heating and Cooling Curves
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidÎT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q,...
States of Matter and Phase Changes

