Characterization of an n-octadecane PCS in a 0.5 m³ storage tank test facility

Due to the increasing share of renewables in the energy system, research into thermal storage systems is becoming increasingly important. Phase change slurries (PCS) consisting of a phase change material (PCM) within a carrier fluid can be used as thermal storage. The advantage of phase change slurries is that they can be pumped through a hydraulic system independent of the state-of-matter of the emulsified phase change material. In this work a PCS containing 35 wt% Parafol 18 97 (Sasol Germany, n-octadecane, Tm = 27.3°C) as the PCM was characterized under realistic thermomechanical stress in a 0.5 m³ storage tank test facility. Measurements showed that at a temperature difference of 7 K (20°C - 27°C) the PCS was able to store 2.6 times more heat than water. Furthermore, the influence of PCS on the energy demand of a pump was investigated.