New substance invented which can assist in storing heat energy.

[woodchip]

I am interested in this new substance, called non-deformed energy storage phase change material (PCM).
It can be used to store excess heat, and then release it back into rooms when the temperature drops.
Whilst there are already ways to capture and store heat, this seems to be very straightforward to apply.
I suspect it could be of long term benefit in older homes where the installation of heat storage systems might prove expensive:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110802113610.htm

And for someone like myself who tends to overfire their wood stove, the excess heat can be stored for later....

 

[semipro]

Very cool. Reminds me of the eutectic salts used for solar heat storage.

 

[blades]

Not new, There were many write ups about these materials back in the mid 70's during that contrived fuel crisis. One build I remember( Mother Earth News) had some cylinders, floor to ceiling, loaded with phase change material some where in the Midwest. I do not remember the numbers but the projected cost vs payback was one 1 year at the time. I was always intrigued by that technology. Glad to see that it has been expanded upon and not dumped in a back room like so many other ideas of that time period. Guess us old gray tops were not so backward after all.

 

[jimbom]

Looks like the hype this time is the ability to set the temperature of the phase change. Hope it works. In the past, the material started crystallizing after some number of cycles.

http://www.google.com/patents?id=F7Q4AAAAEBAJ&pg=PA4&dq=Glauber's+salt&hl=en&ei=fqU6TvreJMWGsAKUj_E-&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f;=false

I was interested in this material when I was at Boulder 1978-79, but it never did become practical. So I store heat in a simple concrete slab.

 

[begreen]

Yes, I considered phase-change salts for the greenhouse but instead opted for the insulated concrete slab and water barrels. It will be interesting to see where this new material fits in for cost and how it competes with the MIT discovery I reported earlier.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1766774/todays-vision-of-tomorrow-the-suns-heat-on-demand-anywhere

 

[woodchip]

I was also looking at something like this for the greenhouse where it can overheat by day, and chill a bit at night.

Cucumbers like quite high minimum temp, and heating is pricey with so much single glazed glass around.

Using water tanks to store a days heat is still the probably going to be the cheapest for greenhouses.

Unless this new PCM sells at a very low price........ ;-)