Improvement of the Subcooling Problem of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate by a Combination of Stirring or Internal Electric Field and Nucleating Agent

  • WANG Chuang ,
  • WANG Suyaola ,
  • LIU Pengcheng ,
  • CHENG Xingxing ,
  • WANG Zhiqiang
Expand
  • 1. School of Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Ji’nan 250061, China
    2. National Engineering Laboratory for Reducing Emissions from Coal Combustion, Ji’nan 250061, China

Online published: 2024-11-05

Supported by

The authors thank the Shandong Province Natural Science Foundation (NO. ZR2020ME190) and Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation for the financial support.

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024

Abstract

Energy storage devices are the hub of a multi-energy complementary distributed energy system. Hydrated salts are the most suitable phase change material for energy storage devices, but subcooling is the main obstacle to their application. Nucleation requires a driving force so the use of nucleating agents alone does not reduce subcooling to a very low level. To address this issue, this paper first screened nucleating agents and then further reduced the subcooling of sodium acetate trihydrate in conjunction with stirring or direct current. The effects of rotor mass, rotational speed, direct current voltage, and electrode material on nucleation were analyzed. Finally, the stability of the composite phase change material in the presence of simultaneous stirring and energization was analyzed. The results showed that the addition of 1.5% in weight of disodium hydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate to sodium acetate trihydrate can reduce the subcooling to about 2.3°C. Continued addition of stirring or electricity can reduce the subcooling of sodium acetate trihydrate to within 0.5°C or even eliminate it. The higher the momentum of the stirring, the better the improvement in subcooling, phase separation, and thermal conductivity. The higher the direct current voltage, the better the nucleation effect, but the electrode life will be lower. The silver electrode has the best nucleation effect. No new material was produced in the solution after 100 cycles in the presence of both stirring and direct current. The melting point of the phase change material was increased by 0.2°C and the latent heat value decreased by 1.8%, still with good stability. The trace of deionized water should be added to the phase change material in subsequent studies to compensate for the consumption of water by the anodic elution.

Cite this article

WANG Chuang , WANG Suyaola , LIU Pengcheng , CHENG Xingxing , WANG Zhiqiang . Improvement of the Subcooling Problem of Sodium Acetate Trihydrate by a Combination of Stirring or Internal Electric Field and Nucleating Agent[J]. Journal of Thermal Science, 2024 , 33(6) : 2235 -2244 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-024-2031-z

References

[1] Wang C., Wang S., Cheng X., Research progress and performance improvement of phase change heat accumulators. Journal of Energy Storage, 2022, 56: 105884. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2022.105884.
[2] Chen C., Diao Y., Zhao Y., Performance prediction of a fin-metal foam-cold thermal energy storage device: Solidification. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2023, 202: 123672. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2022.123672.
[3] El-Sayed A.R., Talaat A., Kohail M., The effect of using phase-changing materials on non-residential air-conditioning cooling load in hot climate areas. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 2023, 14: 102109. DOI: 10.1016/j.asej.2022.102109.
[4] Dhaidan N., Hashim H., Abbas A., Discharging of PCM in various shapes of thermal energy storage systems: a review. Journal of Thermal Science, 2023, 32: 1124–1154. DOI: 10.1007/s11630-023-1793-z.
[5] Shao X., Yang S., Shi H., Fan L., Yuan Y., A comprehensive evaluation on the cycling stability of sugar alcohols for medium-temperature latent heat storage. Journal of Energy Storage, 2023, 64: 107190. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2023.107190.
[6] Cheng J., Sheng M., Zeng L., Thermal energy storage properties of carbon nanotubes/sodium acetate trihydrate/sodium monohydrogen phosphate dodecahydrate composite phase-change materials as promising heat storage materials. Applied Thermal Engineering, 2023, 228: 120469. DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120469.
[7] Ahmed W., Hussain A., Shahid H., Experimental study on heat storage properties comparison of paraffin/metal foams phase change material composites. Journal of Thermal Science, 2024, 33: 469–478. DOI: 10.1007/s11630-023-1828-5.
[8] Maruoka N., Tsutsumi T., Ito A., Heat release characteristics of a latent heat storage heat exchanger by scraping the solidified phase change material layer. Energy, 2020, 205: 118055. DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.118055.
[9] Zhao Y., Zhang X., Xu X., Research progress in nucleation and subcooling induced by phase change materials. Journal of Energy Storage, 2020, 27: 101156. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2019.101156. 
[10] Singh S., Anand A., Shukla A., Numerical analysis of phase change and container materials for thermal energy storage in the storage tank of solar water heating system. Journal of Thermal Science, 2024, 33: 408–421. DOI: 10.1007/s11630-023-1776-0.
[11] Vigneshwaran P., Shaik S., Suresh S., Synthesis and thermal characterization of solar salt-based phase change composites with graphene nanoplatelets. Journal of Thermal Science, 2024, 33: 491–500. DOI: 10.1007/s11630-023-1895-7.
[12] Schmit H., Rudaleviciene D., Rathgeber C., Hiebler S., Influence of basic raw materials on the maximum storage capacity of the phase change material calcium chloride hexahydrate. Journal of Energy Storage, 2020, 27: 101064. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2019.101064.
[13] Han L., Zhang X., Ji J., Ma K., Research progress on the influence of nano-additives on phase change materials. Journal of Energy Storage, 2022, 55: 105807. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2022.105807.
[14] Fang Y., Su J., Tang Y., Form-stable Na2SO4·10H2O-Na2HPO4·12H2Oeutectic/hydrophilic fumed silica composite phase change material with low subcooling and low thermal conductivity for indoor thermal comfort improvement. International Journal of Energy Research, 2020, 44: 3171–3182. DOI: 10.1002/er.5178.
[15] Zhu Y., Qin Y., Liang S., Graphene/SiO2/n-octadecane nanoencapsulated phase change material with flower like morphology, high thermal conductivity, and suppressed subcooling. Applied Energy, 2019, 250: 98–108.  DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.05.021.
[16] Kiyokawa H., Tokutomi H., Ishida S., Thermal energy storage performance of tetrabutylammonium acrylate hydrate as phase change materials. Applied Sciences, 2021, 11(11): 4848. DOI: 10.3390/app11114848.
[17] Diaconu B.M., Cruceru M., Anghelescu L., A critical review on heat transfer enhancement techniques in latent heat storage systems based on phase change materials. Passive and active techniques, system designs and optimization. Journal of Energy Storage, 2023, 61: 106830. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2023.106830.
[18] Wu Y., Zhang X., Xu X., A review on the effect of external fields on solidification, melting and heat transfer enhancement of phase change materials. Journal of Energy Storage, 2020, 31: 101567. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2020.101567.
[19] Koizumi H., Uda S., Theoretical and practical studies on effects of external electrostatic electric field on nucleation and growth kinetics of protein crystals. Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials, 2022, 68: 100568. DOI: 10.1016/j.pcrysgrow.2022.100568.
[20] Xu X., Zhang X., Munyalo J.M., Key technologies and research progress on enhanced characteristics of cold thermal energy storage. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2019, 278: 428–437. DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2019.01.040.
[21] Sakurai K., Sano K., Mechanism of electrical nucleation in a latent heat storage device with supercooled aqueous solution of sodium acetate trihydrate. Journal of Crystal Growth, 2019, 516: 21–33. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2019.03.018.
[22] Sun M., Liu T., Li M., Experimental and molecular dynamic simulation of subcooling phenomenon of sodium acetate trihydrate. Journal of Energy Storage, 2023, 62: 106956. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2023.106956.
[23] Wang G., Xu C., Kong W., Review on sodium acetate trihydrate in flexible thermal energy storages: Properties, challenges and applications. Journal of Energy Storage, 2021, 40: 102780. DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2021.102780.
[24] Wang S., Wang C., Hussain M.B., Study on performance improvement of sodium acetate trihydrate in thermal energy storage system by disturbance. Processes, 2022, 10(6): 1093. DOI: 10.3390/pr10061093.
[25] Sutjahja I., Rahman A., Putri R., Electrofreezing of the phase-change material CaCl2·6H2O and its impact on subcooling and the nucleation time. Hemijska Industrija, 2019, 73: 363–374. DOI: 10.2298/hemind190803034s.
[26] Sakurai K., Yoshinaga N., Yagi R., Effect of embedding sodium acetate trihydrate on the Ag anode in an electrical nucleation cell of a supercooled latent heat storage material. Solar Energy, 2018, 173: 1306–1314. DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2018.08.014.
[27] Dong C., Qi R., Yu H., Zhang L., Electrically-controlled crystallization of supercooled sodium acetate trihydrate solution. Energy and Buildings, 2022, 260: 111948. DOI: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.111948.
Outlines

/