To reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency in the building sector, thermal energy storage with phase change materials (PCMs) is used. The knowledge of the thermophysical properties and the characteristics of PCMs (like their enthalpy changes and the distribution of stored energy over a specified temperature range) is essential for proper selection of the PCM and optimal design of the latent thermal energy store (LHTES). This paper presents experimental tests of the thermophysical properties of three medium-temperature PCMs: OM65, OM55, RT55, which can be used in domestic hot water installations and heating systems. Self-made test chambers with temperature control using Peltier cells were used to perform measurements according to the T-history method. In this way the temperature range of the phase transition, latent heat, specific heat capacity, enthalpy and the distributions of stored energy of the three PCMs were determined. The paper also presents measurements of the thermal conductivity of these PCMs in liquid and solid state using a self-made pipe Poensgen apparatus. The presented experimental tests results are in good agreement with the manufacturers’ data and the results of other researchers obtained with the use of specialized instruments. The presented research results are intended to help designers in the selection of the right PCM for the future LHTES co-working with renewable energy systems, waste heat recovery systems and building heating systems.

The paper presents theoretical assumptions and implementation of the T-history method, which was used to estimate the thermal capacity and latent heat for phase change materials (PCMs). The research equipment, measurement system and obtained results were discussed. The T-history method was used to investigate the heating and cooling process of two PCMs, sold under the trade names of RT15 and RT18. Obtained results were compared with the manufacturer’s data. The analysis of the research results has led to the conclusion that the presented measurement method made it possible to perform a preliminary verification of the enthalpy–temperature dependency of the PCMs. The method can be also used for studying different commercial materials and estimating this dependency for materials of yet unknown properties.

Organic phase change materials (PCMs), which are typically used as the accumulating material in latent heat thermal energy storage, provide chemical and thermal stability, but have low thermal conductivity. This limits heat transfer rates and prolongs storage charging/discharging time. A method to improve the thermal conductivity of organic PCMs is to add nanomaterials with high thermal conductivity. The paper presents the research on the effect of the addition of graphene nanoparticles (GNPs) on the thermal conductivity of organic PCM (RT28 HC), and its energy storage properties. The transient hot wire and the pipe Poensgen apparatus methods were used to measure thermal conductivity, and the differential scanning calorimetry method was used to determine the heat capacity and phase change temperature. The achieved characteristics of thermal conductivity depending on the amount of added graphene nanoparticles (and stabilizer) indicate that GNPs allow to increase the thermal conductivity on average by 26–87% in the solid state and by 7–28% in the liquid, but this reduces the PCM heat capacity. Therefore, the paper indicates what mass fraction of dopants is optimal to achieve the greatest improvement in thermal conductivity of RT28 HC and its smallest reduction in heat capacity, to use this nano-enhanced PCM in practice.

Energy storage is one of the most effective ways to increase energy savings and efficiency of heating and air conditioning systems. Phase change materials (PCMs) are increasingly used in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems to increase their capacity. In such systems, costs are a very important factor of viability so the typical heat transfer elements like fin-and-tube heat exchangers are used to construct the LHTES. The problem of this approach is a possibility of corrosion of metals in contact with PCM that shortens the life cycle of LHTES. Therefore, the main objective of this work is an experimental study of the compatibility of metals typically used in fin-and-tube heat exchangers (copper and aluminum) with three commercially available organic PCMs (RT15, RT18HC, and RT22HC). Compatibility of PCMs with copper and aluminum was tested for a period of approximately two months, during which a total of 35 heating and cooling cycles were carried out, each with a complete phase transition of the tested materials. In the course of the tests it was assessed whether the PCM caused corrosion of the tested metals. The evaluation was based on the gravimetric method, calculation of corrosion rate, and visual observations and measurements of the features on the metal sample’s surface using optical microscope. It was determined that RT15, RT18 HC, and RT22 HC show low corrosion rates for aluminum and copper samples. The visual tests indicate that there was no change in the PCM solutions during the tests, only a sediment was observed for the samples with the combination of copper and aluminum. Microscopic examination of the surface of the samples did not show any significant surface changes, except for the aluminum samples, on the surface of which local microdefects were observed. It follows from the present results that copper and aluminum can be used to design the heat transfer surface in contact with the chosen PCMs.