Conventional Refrigeration Systems Using Phase Change Material: A Review

Abstract

A phase change material (PCM) is a substance that can store or release significant amounts of heat energy by changing its phase from liquid to vapor or vice versa. It has already been proven that incorporation of PCM with refrigeration systems improves the energy efficiency as well as the quality of the frozen food. However, the attachment of PCM system with the refrigeration system is a challenging task. Different aspects such as PCM thickness, quantity of PCM, PCM phase change temperature selection for optimizing energy consumptions of refrigeration systems are the main concerns of today’s researches. However, there is no specific study to concern these aspects of PCM in refrigeration systems. Therefore, in this paper, a comprehensive literature review has been made. The effects of different process parameters such as the thickness of PCM, phase change temperature of PCM and position of PCM have been discussed. This paper also presents a review of the modeling approaches as well as experimental approaches for the application of PCM in a refrigeration system. Moreover, the present status of the refrigeration system with PCM has been presented. Finally, the limitations of incorporation of PCM in a refrigeration system have been also discussed.