Integrated Thermal Management Applications
Thermal Energy Storage (TES):
Thermal Energy Storage is the temporary storage of high or low temperature energy for later use, bridging the gap between requirement and energy use. The storage cycle might be daily, weekly or seasonal depending on the system design requirements, and whilst the output will always be thermal, the input may be thermal or electrical.
- Reduced Running Cost - load shifting provides reliable operation and lower annual electricity/energy running costs.
- Reduced Machinery - shifting some of the peak load may enable designers to reduce the main machine size.
- Increased Capacity - as a retrofit application, the additional TES load may increase the system output
without any additional machinery. - Green Solution - reduced machinery size means reduced energy consumption, giving lower direct
and indirect CO2 emissions. - Flexible System - the overall machinery capacity and TES capacity can be exactly matched to system loads.
- Stand-By Capacity - in case the main machinery fails, the stored energy can be utilised to handle the
system loads, thereby providing a degree of back-up facility.
Phase Change Materials (PCMs)
Phase Change Materials, commonly referred to as PCMs, are products that store and release thermal energy during the processes of melting and freezing. Phase Change Materials release large amounts of energy upon freezing in the form of latent heat but absorb equal amounts of energy from the immediate environment upon melting. This enables thermal energy storage; heat or coolness being stored from one process or period of time and used at a later point in time or transferred to a different location. PCMs can also be used to provide thermal barriers or insulation, particularly useful for industry sectors such as temperature-controlled transport.
Interestingly, the simplest, cheapest and most effective Phase Change Material is water/ice. Unfortunately, its freezing point of 0°C (+32°F) precludes it from the majority of energy storage applications. However, a number of alternative Phase Change Materials have been identified and developed that freeze and melt like water/ice, but at temperatures from the cryogenic range to several hundred degrees centigrade.
The PlusICE range is arranged into three categories;
Eutectics - solutions of salts in water or alternatively non-water based solutions with a phase change temperature below 0°C (+32°F)- Salt Hydrates - specific salts able to incorporate water of crystallisation during the freezing process, normally above 0°C (+32°F)
- Organic Materials - which tend to be polymers composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen. These mostly change phase above 0°C (+32°F) and can be as simple as coconut oil, waxes or fatty acids.
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- Temperature Controlled Distribution
- Building Temperature Control Services
- Solar Heat Storage
- Passive Enclosure Cooling
- Thermal Barrier Applications
- Product & Application Development
