Potentialities of a low temperature solar heating system based on slurry phase change materials (PCS)

Flat-plate solar thermal collectors are the most common devices to convert solar energy into heat. Water-based fluids are commonly adopted as heat carrier for this technology, although their efficiency is limited by some thermodynamic and heat storage constraints. To overcome some of these limitations, an innovative approach is the use of latent heat, which can be available by means of microencapsulated slurry PCMs (mixtures of microencapsulated Phase Change Materials, water and surfactants). The viscosity of these fluids is similar to that of water and they can be easily pumped. In the present work, some of the thermo-physical and rheological properties and material behaviour that interest flat-plate solar thermal collectors with slurry PCM as the heat carrier fluid are analysed. Concepts of solar thermal systems filled with a slurry phase change material are proposed and a prototypal system is presented. Possible advantages and drawbacks of this technology are also discussed.