Investigations on latent heat storage materials for solar water and space heating applications

Abstract

The present study provides a thorough review on available latent heat storage materials (LHSMs) and their thermophysical properties for low temperature (25–80°C) solar heating applications. The applications are solar water and space heating. The best LHSMs have been short-listed for the above applications based on the primary and secondary selection criteria. Based on the above two criteria, it is found that lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, myristic acid, paraffin wax, sodium acetate trihydrate and an eutectic mixture of stearic acid and myristic acid (80:20wt%) have a great potential to act as the best LHSM for solar water heating system, whereas, calcium chloride hexahydrate, n-eicosane, P116 wax, sodium sulfate decahydrate, disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate and lithium nitrate trihydrate are the best LHSMs for solar space heating. The parameters affecting the life span of a LHSM, namely, thermal stability, corrosion, phase segregation and subcooling have been discussed in detail. The present study also includes a list of commercially available LHSMs which can be employed for the solar water and space heating applications.