Applications - Phase Change Materials - PCMs

PCM Energy P. Ltd

Customized PCMs

1. Telecom Shelters:

Telecom shelters are insulated, air-conditioned enclosures that house the heart of mobile communication, the Base Transceiver Station (BTS). BTS, and also the battery, is very temperature sensitive and its surroundings should always be maintained below 35 deg C. In under-developed countries, there are frequent power cuts and single phasing, forcing cellular service providers to install Diesel Generators to support the air-conditioner in case of power cuts or single phasing. PCM installed in Telecom Shelter will absorb heat in case of unavailability of power, minimizing/eliminating use of DG Sets. PCM will get re-charged when power source is available. Thus, PCMs store energy using a cheap source of power and release it when that cheap source of power is not available, thus saving on Diesel Cost.

2. Transportation:

Transportation of perishable foods, temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, sundry electronics (like ignition transformers) and chemicals (explosives) require refrigerated trucks. Such reefer trucks are prohibitively expensive to operate as they use Diesel as a source of energy. Cost of diesel-generated energy is 6 times higher as compared to conventional electricity cost.

3. Automobiles

PCM is already used today in a latent heat battery offered by BMW as optional equipment in its 5 series. The principle is quite simple, the storage material is connected to the radiator and stores excess heat when the motor runs at operating temperature. This heat is then available at the next cold start to heat up the motor quickly (better gas mileage) and for the interior (driving comfort). Due to the latent heat battery’s excellent insulation, it can maintain the energy for 2 days at an outside temperature of – 20 °C. As an extension to this application, PCM can also be used in tail-pipes (exhaust) of vehicles. This will maintain the catalytic converter at its design temperature, reducing excessive Hydro-carbon emissions during vehicle start up.

4. House heating, warm water:

Solar energy is not available at all times, and therefore solar installations require an intermediary storage of the energy for heating or warm water. PCM based system will offer the following benefits over a conventional system: Low volume in comparison to water storage systems and a higher efficiency due to a lower temperature difference between loading and discharging of the energy. Latent heat storage can also be implemented in conventional heating systems. PCM based solar water heater will also give a better controlled water temperature.

5. Construction materials:

The atmosphere in a room is found comfortable if it varies little in the course of the day. For this reason, homes with very thick walls are found especially comfortable: cool in the summer and warm in the winter. To achieve this comfort in less massive constructions, one can implement materials containing PCMs and thus demonstrating the same properties as thick walls. By absorbing heat at the peaks (e.g. during sunshine) and delayed release in the night, in most cases one can even do without air conditioning.

6. Catering:

The transportation of warm meals requires a heat source; otherwise it will not meet the quality standards set by the consumers. An electric heating source cannot always be implemented, in such cases PCMs offer an ideal, self-regulating heating element. The melting point of the PCM depends upon the temperature at which the food should be kept. 60° – 70°C are optimal so that the food does not continue to cook but is hot enough to eat.

7. Electronics:

Electronic circuitry is extremely sensitive to over-heating, negatively influencing both lifetime and reliability of the parts. To date, metal fins are used for heat sinking improving their cooling capacity with additional fans. The sinking of heat peaks using PCMs is absolutely reliable since no motor or temperature measurements are required. The PCM regenerates itself between peaks by emitting the heat with cooling fins. The advantage is a smaller cooling system with a very high reliability.

8. Green Houses:

It is important to maintain temperatures in a small range to enable plants cultivated in a green house to flourish. However, due to large temperature swings in daytime and nighttime temperatures, most green houses need air-conditioning and/or heating. PCM installed in floor of such green houses will eliminate or reduce the dependence on air-conditioning/heating.

9. Temperature Peak Stabilization:

In the chemical industry, there are applications where refrigeration and heating are required in the same batch. In such cases, use of PCM will reduce utility costs, as PCM will store energy from the chemical reaction for use at a later stage in the same batch.

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PCM Energy P. Ltd
1504 Sarkar Tower One, 50 Nesbit Road, Mumbai 400 010, INDIA
Tel : +91-22-2370-2564, 2377-4610, 2372-3564, 2372-6950.
Fax: +91-22-2374-6242, Email: info@pcmenergy.com