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Materials to Store Energy

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "D1: Advanced Energy Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2021) | Viewed by 8874

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques, 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: thermal energy storage; phase change materials; renewable energies

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry, Universtat de Barcelona, Marti Franques 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: thermal energy storage materials; materials science; materials chemistry; materials characterization; energy efficiency; phase change materials; thermochemical materials; thermoregulator materials; renewable energies; low carbon materials; energy storage; nanomaterials; nanofluids; polymeric materials; rubber; calorimetric analyses; DSC; composites; nanocomposites; sustainable engineering; materials circularity; life cycle assessment
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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques, 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: thermal energy storage; phase change materials; renewable energies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The total implementation of renewable energies in the current energy system mainly requires overcoming the problem of discontinuity of its production. To achieve this, it is necessary to improve the energy efficiency of these systems among other strategies but, above all, it is paramount that energy is stored whenever it is produced but not consumed. Here, the materials for storing energy play a very important role. Energy storage technologies are defined as key enabling technologies by the most important international agencies, such as the International Energy Agency or the International Renewable Energy Agency, among others. The scope of this Special Issue focuses on presenting an overview of the materials used in these energy storage technologies. The fields it addresses are thus related to the science, engineering and chemistry of the materials that are capable of storing energy in chemical, mechanical, electrical, or thermal forms. The development, synthesis, optimization, and characterization of these advanced materials for storing energy will be described in this Special Issue. The most relevant findings related to this topic will be welcome to contribute. In addition, the concepts of life cycle analysis and importance of these materials, as well as their recyclability, will be emphasized to give a general idea of how energy storage can contribute towards a circular economy.

Prof. Merce Segarra
Dr. Camila Barreneche
Dr. Alejandro Calderón
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • energy storage materials
  • materials and characterization
  • thermal energy storage
  • electrical storage
  • batteries
  • materials sustainability
  • circular economy
  • phase change materials
  • waste to store energy
  • upcycling
  • thermochemical materials

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

29 pages, 11399 KiB  
Review
Applications of Carbon in Rechargeable Electrochemical Power Sources: A Review
by Jakub Lach, Kamil Wróbel, Justyna Wróbel and Andrzej Czerwiński
Energies 2021, 14(9), 2649; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14092649 - 5 May 2021
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4494
Abstract
Rechargeable power sources are an essential element of large-scale energy systems based on renewable energy sources. One of the major challenges in rechargeable battery research is the development of electrode materials with good performance and low cost. Carbon-based materials have a wide range [...] Read more.
Rechargeable power sources are an essential element of large-scale energy systems based on renewable energy sources. One of the major challenges in rechargeable battery research is the development of electrode materials with good performance and low cost. Carbon-based materials have a wide range of properties, high electrical conductivity, and overall stability during cycling, making them suitable materials for batteries, including stationary and large-scale systems. This review summarizes the latest progress on materials based on elemental carbon for modern rechargeable electrochemical power sources, such as commonly used lead–acid and lithium-ion batteries. Use of carbon in promising technologies (lithium–sulfur, sodium-ion batteries, and supercapacitors) is also described. Carbon is a key element leading to more efficient energy storage in these power sources. The applications, modifications, possible bio-sources, and basic properties of carbon materials, as well as recent developments, are described in detail. Carbon materials presented in the review include nanomaterials (e.g., nanotubes, graphene) and composite materials with metals and their compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials to Store Energy)
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34 pages, 1348 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Additives on the Main Properties of Phase Change Materials
by Ewelina Radomska, Lukasz Mika and Karol Sztekler
Energies 2020, 13(12), 3064; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13123064 - 13 Jun 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3399
Abstract
The main drawback of phase change materials (PCMs) is their low thermal conductivity, which limits the possibilities of a wide range of implementations. Therefore, the researchers, as found in the literature, proposed several methods to improve the thermal conductivity of PCMs, including inserting [...] Read more.
The main drawback of phase change materials (PCMs) is their low thermal conductivity, which limits the possibilities of a wide range of implementations. Therefore, the researchers, as found in the literature, proposed several methods to improve the thermal conductivity of PCMs, including inserting high thermal conductivity materials in nano-, micro-, and macro-scales, as well as encapsulation of PCMs. However, these inserts impact the other properties of PCMs like latent heat, melting temperature, thermal stability, and cycling stability. Hence, this paper aims to review the available in the open literature research on the main properties of enhanced PCMs that undergo solid–liquid transition. It is found that inserting high thermal conductivity materials and encapsulation results in improved thermal conductivity of PCMs, but it decreases their latent heat. Moreover, the insertions can act as nucleating agents, and the supercooling degree can be reduced. Some of the thermal conductivity enhancers (TCEs) may prevent PCMs from leakage. However, some test results are inconsistent and some seem to be questionable. Therefore, this review indicates these discrepancies and gaps in knowledge and points out possible directions for further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials to Store Energy)
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