Enthalpy-temperature evaluation of slurry phase change materials with T-history method

Abstract PCMs and PCSs are widely used to increase the energy efficiency of several building elements. For example in solar thermal applications, the adoption of PCSs can increase the performance of the energy storages and efficiency of the carrier fluid. For this purpose, an important step is the definition of the enthalpy-temperature curve of the PCS. The T-History is a widely adopted method to investigate the thermal behaviour of traditional PCMs. This paper describes the T-History characterisation method for a PCS based on micro-encapsulated n-eicosane suspended in water. Some suggestions on how to deal with the specificity of PCSs are provided.