Solar thermal is an alternative energy conversion process. There is a wide application of solar thermal energy in our domestic life and industrial area. The design and development of latent heat energy storage unit, as part of a complete latent heat storage system to provide an optimum tuning between heat demand and heat supply, is of vital importance, and one of the greatest efforts in thermal solar energy research. The storage of latent heat energy using phase change materials (PCM's) is an effective way of storing thermal energy due to their high energy storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process. Paraffin is one of various PCM's which is used to absorb heat from the heat transfer fluid (HTF) during the charging process and release it again during the discharge process. The conduction and convection criterion of heat transfer enable the paraffin to store this heat as latent heat. Macro-encapsulation comprises the inclusion of PCM's such as paraffin in some form of package such as tubes, pouches, spheres, panels or other receptacle. These containers can serve directly as heat exchangers or they can be incorporated in building products. An inserting of metal foam can improve the equivalent thermal conductivity of a foam-paraffin wax composite and reduced the time required to melt, also enhanced the temperature gradients in TESS while melting and solidification. An addition of metal foam to both PCM (paraffin) and HTF sides can lead to increase heat transfer of HTF during cooling as it is during the heating. By dispersion of metal powders and ceramic particles in macroencapsulated paraffin can be improved the thermal conductivity and thus can overcome the poor rate of heat transfer in the thermal energy storage system, also the performance of paraffin like charging and discharging time and the melting process are improved. By an optimized materials selection and designing of macro-capsules (tubes, spheres, balls, etc.) can be improved the heat conductivity during melting and solidification processes, the inner surface between paraffin and HTF and thus the efficiency of the storage unit.
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