THERMALENERGYSTORAGE

naturalenergy-savingunique

Welcome to PCM:

For more than a decade we have been involved in the development ofPhase Change Materials (PCMs). With unrivalled experience indesigning and advising on PCM installations and applications, wecontinue to push the boundaries in PCM usage for the benefit of ourever-growing customer base.

In addition to our technical expertise, we offer (under the PlusICEbranding) what we believe to be the most comprehensive range ofPCM solutions currently available commercially (-100OC (-148OF) to+885OC (1,625OF) ).

REDUCED RUNNING COST

REDUCED MACHINERY

INCREASED CAPACITY

GREEN SOLUTION

FLEXIBLE SYSTEM

STAND-BY CAPACITY

Phase Change Materials, commonly referred to as PCMs, are products that store and release thermalenergy during the processes of melting and freezing. Phase Change Materials release large amounts ofenergy upon freezing in the form of latent heat but absorb equal amounts of energy from theimmediate environment upon melting. This enables thermal energy storage; heat or coolness being storedfrom one process or period of time and used at a later point in time or transferred to a different location.PCMs can also be used to provide thermal barriers or insulation, particularly useful forindustry sectors such as temperature-controlled transport.

Interestingly, the simplest, cheapest and most effective Phase Change Material is water/ice. Unfortunately, its freezingpoint of 0˚C (+32˚F) precludes it from the majority of energy storage applications. However, a number of alterative PhaseChange Materials have been identified and developed that freeze and melt like water/ice, but at temperatures from thecryogenic range to several hundred degrees centigrade.

The PlusICE range is arranged into four categories;

Eutectics, solutions of salt in water with a phase changetemperature below 0˚C (+32˚F)

Salt Hydrates, specific salts able to incorporate water ofcrystallisation during the freezing process, normally above0˚C (+32˚F)

Organic Materials, which tend to be polymerscomposed primarily of carbon and hydrogen. These mostlychange phase above 0˚C (+32˚F) and can be as simple ascoconut oil, waxes or fatty acids.

Solid-Solid Materials, They have no visible change in theappearance of the PCM (other than a slight expansion/contraction) during phase change and therefore overcome allproblems associated with handling liquids, i.e. containment,potential leakage, etc.

Thermal Energy Storage (TES):

-load shifting provides reliable operation and lower annual electricity/energy running costs

-shifting some of the peak load may enable designers to reduce the main machine size

-as a retrofit application, the additional TES load may increase the system output without any additionalmachinery

-reduced machine size means reduced energy consumption, giving lower direct and indirect CO2 emissions

-the overall machinery capacity and TES capacity can be exactly matched to system loads

-incase the main machinery fails, the stored energy can be utilised to handle the system loads, therebyproviding a degree of back-up facility

Phase Change Materials (PCMs):

From initial concept, research and development toproduction and distribution, our office andmanufacturing facility in the UK and our Licensedoutlets around the world offer bespoke products to meetunique customer requirements.

And of course, good ideas are not the exclusive right ofPCM! Many of the non-standard applications are initiatedby our customers, whether end-user ordeveloper. Our technical team is happy to take ideas fromconception through to completion including fullcommercialisation, with or without our productionunder a Licensee option.

Thermal Energy Storage TES is the temporary storage of high or lowtemperature energy for later use, bridging the gap betweenrequirement and energy use. The storage cycle might be daily, weeklyor seasonal depending on the system design requirements, and whilstthe output will always be thermal, the input may be thermal orelectrical.

Air conditioning:The picture right shows the MalaysianZEO Project. This is the Zero EnergyOffice, designed to capture energyduring night time for release duringdaytime hours.Our PCM coolth storage systemshave been successfully applied for avariety of chilled water applicationsaround the World all the way from USArmy Corp. head quarters in Seattle, Saudi High speed trainstations to Australian Parliament for energy saving and loadshifting applications.

Free Cooling:The Headquarters of Melbourne CityCouncil, known as the CH2 building isthe only 6* energy efficiency building inthe world.Cooling towers are run during hours ofdarkness, freezing the PCM energystorage which is then released as coolduring the day.

Passive Cooling:Ceiling tiles, as pictured right, at theUniversity of Westminster, Londonnaturally freeze overnight and releasecool during the day as an energy-freecooling.

FabricTES:Granular PCM is absorbed into building materials, such as plaster-board and concrete to aid the balance between temperatureextremes in much the same way that old properties with highceilings and thick walls achieve a comfortable temperature range.

Heat Recovery:A factory near Turin has been designedto utilise CHP (Combined Heat &Power) using PCM energy storage forboth hot and cold sides of the systemwith superior economics.

Solar Heating:The village used to house the athletesat the Melbourne Commonwealth Games had been built for normalresidential occupation. However, during the Games, the village wasfull to capacity and the resultant demand on the energy sappingservices such as showers meant that the capacity of the hot watertanks had to be increased sevenfold with the introduction of PCM.

Tri-Gen Applications:During recent upgrading, thedesigners for the National Theatre inLondon applied a tri-gen systemwhereby the varying daily electricity,heating and cooling loads arebalanced by means of utilising a PCMenergy storage system. Hence,handling not only daily but alsoseasonal operational load conditions.

Solar House:A purpose-built property in USA provides Comfort cooling andheating without the need for any extenal energy input.

Solar Air Conditioning:The winning bid for the FIFA 2022World Cup by Qatar is based on a zerocarbon cooling design using solarenergy to drive the air conditioningenergy in PCM tanks. This occurswhile the stadium is not in use, and thestored cool energy can then be used to provide the airconditioning during Word Cup matches.

RoadTransport:A huge percentage of our food is transported by road withrefrigerated vehicles now commonplace. PCM technologyoffers both mechanical-refrigeration-free and back-upcooling options.Cold Store Back-up:A power failure is potentiallyextremely costly in foodstorage. In countries with lessreliable power supplies, PCMtechnology has been employedin warehouses to effectivelysoak the heat out of the storage area to ensure that theproducts remain unspoilt.Shipping:Phase Change Material isnow utilised in road, air andsea freight as a coolingmedium that provides electricity-freecooling solutions.Marine Back-up CoolingOn some vessels, as soon as the enginestops, the refrigeration facility doeslikewise. These beams pictured rightallow the temperature to remain undercontrol.

Eutectic Plates:Imagine a picnic cooler box, wellthese plates work in exactly thesame way but on a larger scale andfor a wide range of cold and hottemperature applications.

Electric-free Refrigeration& FoodDisplayCooling:Free coolingor heatretention - utilised on food trolleys,salad cabinets and serve-ove counters that are seen onpublic transport and the London Underground.

Packaging - Pharmaceutical and Medical:Pharmaceuticals, medicalsupplies and blood products aretemperature critical. PlusICEsolutions are used by militaryorganisations around theworld for the packaging andtransportation of medicine,blood and tissue.

Applications - Buildings:

Applications -Temperature ControlledPackaging &Transport:

Telecom Shelters:It is imperative to keep electronicsunder 45˚C (+1 13˚F) safety limit inorder to keep the system functioning.PCM based passive cooling systemfreezes over night and later this storedenergy soaks up both the internal andexternal heat loads during day-timeand keep the shelter’s insidetemperatures under control.Electronic Cooling:

Performing the roleof a thermal shockabsorber, the PCMpreventselectronicsexceeding their

critical temperature. PCM is applied toATM’s. as passive cooling in hot climates.Battery Cooling:PCM technology gives extended life to the, batteries by keepingthe temperature down. Cooler batteries result in longer life andbetter performance.

Thermal Barrier:PCM heat shields are successfullyapplied for data logger protectionagainst heat such jet engine testing,furnace and hot environments.

Shelter Passive Cooling:The PCM freezes overnight toabsorb heat during hotter daylighthours as well as internal heatgeneration in applications such asremote pump-station control rooms,to provide an electric-free solution.

Electronic Back-up Cooling:Many I.T. centres have their ownpower supply backed up by gen-erators or UPS for the computers.Unfortunately, as soon as thepower goes off, the temperaturerises. The PCM acts like a thermalsponge, soaking the heat fromarea and offers an electric-freeback-up cooling solution.Enclosures / ControlBoxes:By simply charging the PCMcontainers utilising the night coolerambient, the day internal and solargains can be handled without theneed for a mechanical cooling andthe electronic components can bekept below their upper safety limitsand operate safely anywhere in theWorld. Signals boxes inthe UK rail network rely on PCM thermal stabilisation.

IndustrialApplications:PlusICE solutions enabledesigners around the world toapply the PCM technology,stabilising heat loads andmatching heat load timebalance for an economical andreliable operation. Loads indairies, breweries and foodfactories can be simply balanced by PCM TES systems to suit theoperating temperatures of the system to cut any wasteenergy.

Domestic Hot Water:Phase Change Materials added tostandard domestic immersion tankincrease the hot water storagecapacity many times over.

Commonwealth GamesVillage Australia:Utilising Solar TES. During the period of theGames, the requirements for additional hot waterin order to cover the excessive occupancy levelwere increased dramatically.

Heating SolarTES:The time lag between energy availability andconsumption between the midday sun and hotwater heating requirements is bridged by PCMTES which offers economic and efficientinstallation.

Underfloor Heating:Althoughsolarcollectorsare notcapable ofproducinghigh enoughenergy tocharge thehot waterduringwinterperiods but they can still becapable of charging a +27O

(81OF) PCM underfloorenergy storage circuitwhereby the surplus sunenergy can be stored andlater used over-night.Effectively, the whole buildingheating loads can besatisfied by simply usingsolar circuit.Solar HouseProject USA:Built for the Solar Decathloncompetition, the Solar Houseprovides comfort cooling bysimply storing cold nightenergy and heating bystoring daytime solar energy,negating the need for anyenergy input.

Applications - Passive Cooling:

Applications - Solar Heating & Heat Recovery:

Aero & Space Applications:We are extremely proud to have been involved in providing ourexpertise to a number of aero & space projects. PCM technology hasbeen utilised as heat blocks to keep the electronics under control.PCM is also used within the capsules used for collecting samples andthe PCM ensure these samples remain at the same temperature untilopened for examination and research.

Automotive Passive Cooling:In some parts of the world experiencing hotter climateswithout the luxury of air conditioning in motor cars,PCM Passive Cooling has been adopted to keep thedriver cool. Using a +32°C (+90°F) PCM that freezesovernight, the driver’s comfort is ensured when thePCM melts.We have also worked on hydrogen car fuelstorage, electric cars heating and cooling energy

storage modules as well as air conditioning back-up / top up storage.

Military Backpack Battery Cooling:The battery backpack used by the armed forcesenjoys longer life and better performance whenkept cool. The PCM technology increases batterylife at a critical time.

Food & Drink Cooling . Heating:A project undertaken for a major global playerresulted in a +4OC (+39OF) PCM ensuring that a canof drink remained at this temperature for fourhours.

Passive Furniture / Data Safe Cooling:PCMs have been introduced into fabrics used infurniture production and even bed-sheets toachieve optimum comfort. Data safety boxes maystand the fire but the heat generated by the firerenders the data useless and by using PCM tokeep the content of the safe below uppertemperature limit for 4~6 hours provides enoughtime for the fire fighters to rescue the safety box and save the data filesinside the safe.

Human Comfort & Body Cooling:This technology has finally made it into ‘icejackets’, used by firefighters and operatives inuncomfortable workingenvironments. Inanother application,PCM based coolingcushions have been

incorporated into prosthetic breast implants tocontain excess heat generated by the chest wall.PCM’s are also used in cushions for wheelchair users to protect andovercome hotspots.

Formula-1 Applications:Following the Malaysian Grand Prix we had two weeks to design andproduce a product geared to improving driver comfort throughout therace. The problem had arisen due to extreme high temperaturesduring the race causing the rehydration bottle to become so hot that itwas unusable. Prior to the next Grand Prix, the car was equipped withwater bottles encased in PCM ensuring that the driver did not becomedehydrated. PCM’s are also applied to stabilise the fuel tanktemperatures as part of the fuel management.

Product & Application Development;

Since 1996 our design team hasbeen working on many differentproducts and applications, from theInternational Space Station to thesubmarine cooling applications.

Our PlusICE range of productsincluding FlatICE, BallICE, TubelCE,Eutectic Plates and Pouches enablesus to develop and apply both organicand hydrated salt based PCMs for avariety of applications around theworld.

We have many licencees using ourPlusICE product range, either as rawmaterial or manufactured product.Some of the applications are initiatedby our organisation, but the majorityof non-standard applications comefrom the minds of the end-user ordeveloper.

Our technical team prides itself ontaking customer ideas from conceptto completion.

Unit 32, Mere View Industrial Estate, Yaxley, Cambridgeshire, PE7 3HS, United Kingdom.Telephone: +44-(0) 1733 245511Facsmile: +44-(0) 1733 243344

Email: info@pcmproducts.net

www.pcmproducts.net