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phase change for solar heat storage




Listers --

I recall some interest in early solar heating design re: using mass walls
made of material which changes phase (from solid to liquid)  at slightly
above the desired ambient temperature (e.g. 90-120 deg F).   Theoretical
advantage here is that by taking advantage of the latent heat of fusion,
much more heat could be stored in a much smaller volume of storage (smaller
when compared to equivalent energy being stored with a change in sensible
heat without phase change).

This certainly made sense to me at the time; has this progressed anywhere
since I studied the concept maybe 15 years ago??

TIA --- Eric