A review of integrated phase change materials for evacuated tube solar collector system

This study presents a short review of research outcomes of low and medium temperature solid-liquid Phase Change Materials (PCMs) that are used for latent heat storage. The aim is to determine the appropriate materials for integration with the Evacuated Tube Solar Collector system (ETSC) in order to stabilize the intermittent temperature fluctuations and extend the operating hours. The study provides an insight into recent efforts to integrate PCMs with solar thermal systems, focusing on providing solutions to three of the disadvantages of PCMs, namely thermal stability, thermal conductivity and supercooling. The study uses the ‘Papadimitratos’ approach of integrating PCMs into the ETSC to provide an acceptable degree of validation in the selection of materials.