A Review on Thermal Energy Storage Systems With Phase Change Materials in Vehicles

Abstract

Thermal energy storage (TES) with phase change materials (PCMs) has been one of the main topics in research lately. Although the information is quantitatively enormous, there have not been more studies on its applications in automobiles in literature. There are large numbers of PCMs that melt and solidify at a wide range of temperatures, making them attractive in a number of applications in automobiles. This paper reviews previous works on TES systems with solid-liquid phase change and provides an insight to recent efforts to develop new types of TES systems with PCMs for use in vehicles. The development of such devices is an extremely urgent need especially for regions with a cold climate. There are three profound aspects to be considered in this study: PCMs, suitable fields for thermal storage in vehicles and some major applications.