Unterstanding of ice slurry and low temperature phase change slurries for thermal energy storage and transport applications

Commercially viable applications of phase change slurries in thermal storage and transportation of thermal energy require better understanding of their physical properties as well as flow and heat transfer characteristics. This paper summarizes the recent progress in the fundamental understanding of phase change slurries and identifies further research needs for their applications. Extensive research has been conducted on ice slurries to better understand their physical properties as well as flow and heat transfer characteristics for refrigeration and air conditioning applications over the past ten years. These research results have been exchanged at a total of seven conferences in Europe and Japan hosted by the Working Party on Ice Slurries of the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR). These efforts have led to the publication of a Handbook on Ice Slurries: Fundamentals and Engineering by the IIR in 2005. Based on the knowledge gained from the past ice slurry research, the past work on the fundamental aspects of other low temperature phase change slurries available in the literature is also reviewed. Further research needs are then identified for storage and transportation of thermal energy with the use of phase change slurries, including the slurries of phase change emulsions and hydrate slurries. Fundamental properties such as enthalpy and viscosity, and practical aspects such as stability, pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics will be examined in detail.