Experimental Research on Thermal Energy Storage of a New Type of PCM Heat Exchange Tube

Abstract

Thermal energy storage performance of a new type of PCM heat exchange tube was researched, in which its main body was based on the traditional structure of a double-tube exchanger and was full of PCM (calcium chloride hexahydrate) in the annular area between the inner tube and the outer tube. The hot air at the temperature of 40°C was chosen as a fluid medium, and the temperature measurements of the test points were made at the inlet and the outlet of this new type of PCM heat exchange tube. The experimental results showed that, this new type of PCM heat exchange tube could store thermal energy from the hot air by means of PCM (calcium chloride hexahydrate) in the annular area, whose performance laid good foundations for its engineering applications for recovery and utilizations of greenhouses, air conditioning and industrial afterheat or waste heat etc.