Research progress in nucleation and supercooling induced by phase change materials

Abstract

The supercooling of phase change materials leads to the inability to recover the stored latent heat, which is an urgent problem to be solved during the development of phase change energy storage technology. This paper reviews the research progress of controlling the supercooling and crystal nucleation of phase change materials. The factors affecting the supercooling and crystal nucleation of phase change materials have been classified into three categories: external fields (magnetic field, ultrasound and mechanical vibration, electric field, and microwave), additives (homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation) and other methods (porous media, wire interference, and surface tension). In this paper, the mechanism that promotes crystallization and nucleation under the action of different methods have been analyzed. Finally, according to the current research situation, the deficiencies in the current research were put forward, and the future research trends prospected.