Investigation of Al-Si-Cu alloys as phase change materials for high temperature thermal energy storage

TL;DR

This study evaluates Al-Cu-Si alloys as high-temperature phase change materials for thermal energy storage, demonstrating their stability, high energy density, and potential for industrial applications through comprehensive experimental and computational analysis.

Contribution

It provides the first extensive experimental assessment of Al-Cu-Si alloys as high-temperature PCMs, including thermophysical properties and long-term cycling stability above 600°C.

Findings

Several alloys show volumetric energy densities over 500 kWh/m³.

Alloys demonstrate good thermal durability after 100 cycles.

CALPHAD calculations effectively guided alloy selection.

Abstract

The present work explores the suitability of Al-Cu-Si ternary alloys as hightemperature metallic phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage systems (TESS) operating between 550__C and 850__C. While prior research has primarily focused on thermodynamic modeling or thermal property characterization below 600{\textdegree}C, this work provides a comprehensive experimental assessment of selected invariant compositions within the Al-Cu-Si system. CALPHAD calculations were performed using FactSage 8.2 software (SGTE and FTLite database) to guide alloy selection, followed by synthesis and detailed characterization of melting point, latent heat, specific heat, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity. Critically, the thermal reliability of these materials was evaluated under repeated solid-liquid cycling up to 100 cycles in oxidizing atmospheres, revealing their stability and degradation profiles. Additionally, dilatometry and density analysis were conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of the alloys and practical properties for end users. Among the tested alloys, several demonstrated high volumetric energy densities (over 500 kWh/m${}^3$ for a temperature difference of 300{\textdegree}C) and good thermal durability, establishing Al-Cu-Si alloys as promising PCM candidates for industrial-scale high-temperature energy storage applications. This study fills a notable gap in the literature by combining phase selection, comprehensive thermophysical property evaluation, and long-term cycling analysis above 600{\textdegree}C.