Industrial Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Using Phase Change Materials

Phase change materials (PCMs) can store and release large amounts of energy at constant temperatures during phase transition. In the last half a century, different types of phase change materials, including paraffin waxes, hydrated salts, fatty acids, and polymers have been utilized as PCMs. They are broadly classified into organics, inorganics, and eutectics. Phase change materials have been utilized in all aspects of engineering, such as chemical, mechanical, material, civil, biomedical, industrial, and electrical engineering. The applications have been extended to the thermal management and efficiency enhancement of solar panels, vehicles, building construction materials for building energy efficiency, lithium-ion batteries, electrical appliances, electronics, textiles, and biomedical applications. The results of previous investigations in this field reveal that considerable energy saving and thermal energy control can be achieved by utilizing phase change materials in buildings. This presentation will highlight and discuss the findings from case studies and experimental analyses conducted over the past twenty years on the utilization of phase change materials in vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, solar panels, and various electrical appliances as industrial applications to enhance efficiency and promote sustainability.