Experimental analysis of hydroquinone used as phase change material (PCM) to be applied in solar cooling refrigeration

Abstract

This present paper is focused on the study of high temperature thermal energy storage (TES) using phase change materials (PCM) to be applied on cooling and refrigeration systems by solar cooling. Thus, a pilot plant with a working temperature range between 150 and 200 C was designed and built at the University of Lleida (Spain). Hydroquinone was selected for the specific application from different PCM candidates as the most suitable material after a literature review and a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. This PCM has a phase change temperature range between 166 C and 173 C and a melting enthalpy of 225 kJ kg 1. Two storage configurations were evaluated using the same PCM to have preliminary results before the final storage tank design. From the pilot plant results and experience, a 5 Tn PCM storage tank was designed and built to work in a real solar cooling installation in Seville (Spain).

The work is partially funded by the Spanish government (ENE2011-22722). The authors would like to thank the Catalan Government for the quality accreditation given to their research group GREA (2009 SGR 534). Antoni Gil would like to thank the Col·legi d'Enginyers Industrials de Catalunya for his research appointment. Eduard Oró would like to thank the University of Lleida for his research fellowship.