Work

Advanced phase change cold storage macro encapsulated sphere for refrigerated transportation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The advantages of hydrated salt phase change materials (PCMs) have garnered increasing attention within the refrigerated transportation sector. Encapsulation of hydrated salts offers a promising solution to mitigate their corrosive properties, thereby enabling their implementation in equipment. In this work, a PCM with a melting temperature of 9.4 °C, a melting latent heat of 107.4 J/g, and a degree of supercooling of 1.2 °C was prepared. By using different characterization methods and theoretical analysis, its unique thermodynamic properties and regulation mechanism of performance were revealed. The prepared material was encapsulated in a polypropylene hollow sphere, whose hermeticity was verified by experiment. The heat transfer performance of the encapsulated sphere was researched from the aspects of heat transfer medium, size effect, and flow velocity, whose influence mechanisms was discussed through a comprehensive analysis.

Source: Journal of Energy Storage

DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.124582

Authors: Meicheng Peng, Baoshan Xie, Chuanchang Li

Institution: Changsha University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Phase Change Materials Research

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,560

Funders: Department of Transportation of Hunan Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China