CERTIFICATION
Axiotherm, Rubitherm awarded new RAL Quality Marks
On July 5, the RAL Quality Association PCM’s quality committee approved awarding the RAL Quality Mark to Axiotherm’s PCM tt 18 for cycling category F (≥ 50 cycles) and Rubitherm’s PhaseCube with SP21EK for cycling category E (≥ 100 cycles).
Axiotherm first developed a PCM polymer compound for electronics cooling, which was awarded the INNOspace Masters competition of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in 2019. However, one special feature of the temperature-stabilizing PCM polymer is its mix of materials that remain gelatinous when melted, making it leak-proof and therefore well-suited for pharmaceutical and food transport.
The tt18 is Axiotherm’s second from this product line to be awarded the RAL Quality Mark, with the tt5.5 having been certified in 2020. The tt5.5 and tt18 have special versions for pharmaceutical transport for the key temperature ranges of 2-8°C and 15-25°C. They are designed to work with the coolPacks products that are highly customizable, leak-proof and food safe.
PhaseCube by Rubitherm is an innovative air-guided PCM storage solution with a storage capacity of 1000 Wh designed for temperature-controlled ventilation and climate regulation. The standard PhaseCube consists of 10 compact storage modules, each with dimensions of 300x450x15mm and containing 2 kg of the PCM SP21Ek, which was certified earlier. The modules are encapsulated in aluminum, providing excellent thermal conductivity and resistance to corrosion.
According to the company: “The main motivation for certification was to demonstrate to both consumer and professional customers the high level of performance and quality we strive for in all our products, on both the material and system levels. As the PhaseCube is also meant for private use, this mark represents high-quality standards, reliability, and trust which are crucial when selecting products for temperature control. It ensures that the products have undergone rigorous testing and quality checks, making them reliable and safe to use.”
The two new certifications align with efforts by the RAL Quality Association PCM to soon require all member companies to have at least one product certified to meet the association’s high quality standards. Although the members generally comply with the requirements, only four members – Axiotherm, B. Medical Systems, Rubitherm and Sunamp – have completed the time-consuming and costly official certification process so far. At the association’s general assembly in April, members agreed to have certification of at least one product initiated by the end of 2024. The time allowed for new members to apply for certification was increased from six months to 12.
The objective is for each member company to have more than one product certified. Members discussed various options to reduce the time and costs of testing to help increase the number of certified products. The Quality Committee will discuss the proposals in detail and revise the quality and testing specifications if necessary. The process is estimated to take up to a year to complete.
COLD THERMAL STORAGE
Delta touts new blood management system
Delta Development Team, Inc., has developed what it claims is the first complete blood management system designed to track and manage prehospital blood storage at every step to improve efficiency, save time and ensure compliance.
The company identified three key innovations of the system: the PCM pack for the Delta ICE 2L Smart Blood Cooler, which has built-in traceable sensors that promote temperature uniformity; the TempWatch, which signals when the temperature is safe to insert blood into the unit, and the BloodCOMM software, which enables Bluetooth and remote tracking, monitoring and real-time reports.
Delta says of BloodCOMM: “This innovation is significant as it addresses common challenges faced by EMS and other first responders, ensuring comprehensive monitoring from afar and automating report generation that would typically require manual effort.”
The Delta ICE Smart Blood Cooler and APRU portable medical refrigerator meet guidelines set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies.
IN BRIEF
• Sunamp is partnering with Procast on a $1.54 million thermal storage system for about 60 homes in the U.K. The trial is part of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Longer Duration Energy Storage Demonstration program. Sunamp Managing Director Derek Innes explained the program to insider.co.uk: “Customers will have the option of part ownership of a wind farm through Ripple Energy. The proposed system uses smart control logic from myenergi and a large thermal storage from Sunamp to overcome lulls in wind energy supply. Customers will be able to access the Sunamp funded heat pumps via Catapult – receiving £400 for joining the trial. Sunamp will extend its existing heat battery to provide increased storage duration and capacity, pairing it with household energy systems to tackle periods of low renewables generation on the grid.”
• In July, the Biden administration announced it will test 17 cutting-edge technologies in federal buildings in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and to connect new technologies with energy service companies. Two of the 17 chosen technologies incorporate phase change materials: Armstrong World Industries’ ceiling tiles and Nostromo Energy’s ice energy storage system. “The government has invested in R&D for a long time, but at GSA because we have these facilities we can actually test them out in the real world,” Robin Carnahan, administrator of the General Services Administration, told Bloomberg Law. The GSA said it plans to identify test sites by the end of the year and to provide results in 2026.
• Seatrec has invented an underwater robot that it claims can explore the oceans indefinitely, using the kinetic energy of temperature differentials and a phase change material to continuously power it. The PCM used has a melting point of about 10º C, which approximates the average ocean temperatures of 4.4º C and surface temperatures of 21.1º C. TechSpot described the process: “So, as it plunges into the chilly depths, a paraffin-based material solidifies and contracts, forcing hydraulic fluid through a tiny generator to charge the bot’s batteries. The material melts and expands when it moves toward the warmer surface waters, kickstarting the cycle again.” Seatrec founder and CEO Yi Chao said the robot has many applications for industries that need to map and monitor the seafloor, including telecommunications, offshore oil/gas drillers, wind farm developers, and environmental groups. The company said it has plans to develop phase-change powered underwater gliders.
• O-Hx Ltd. is collaborating with Bitzer UK to optimize and commercialize EnergiVault, a pioneering coolth storage technology. EnergiVault uses high-efficiency Bitzer open-drive screw compressors to generate cooling and store it in a battery that incorporates a phase change material (PCM). A 650kWh pilot project at Quotient Sciences, a pharmaceutical facility in Alnwick, demonstrated that EnergiVault effectively provides reliable peak load support, cost savings and continuity of operations even with high temperatures and humidity. Bob Long, executive chairman and founder of O-Hx, said: “Work on system optimization continues, and on the basis of the excellent results so far our performance expectations have been exceeded. We are now following up several active enquiries for EnergiVault and pressing ahead with plans for full-scale commercialization.”
• The Indian textiles ministry is collaborating with the Indian Institutes of Technology and National Institute of Fashion Technology to develop all-weather clothing called indigenous encapsulated phase change material (PCM)-based activewear. The $3 million initiative is set to develop and apply PCM to eliminate the need to change clothes for different weather conditions and extreme environments. “Incorporating smart fabrics that change their properties in response to temperature changes can lead to innovative and dynamic designs, adding a futuristic and functional aspect to fashion. For example, thermo wear can be designed with sleek, modern aesthetics that appeal to consumers looking for stylish yet functional clothing,“ professor Devika Pathak, of Pearl Academy in New Delhi, told Mint.
• The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) had 200 cooling jackets and 150 sets of cooling sheets made using phase change materials (PCM) to help keep their national athletes cool in Paris. The Maeil Business Newspaper reported that the cooling speed is fast and the maintenance time is long. The KOC said it expects the PCM gear will help make its athletes more comfortable and prevent injuries during the Olympics.
• Ice Head made headlines in Japan Today as a new way to stay cool during what is predicted to be the hottest summer on record. The cooling product is made of a phase change material that is lighter than water and encapsulated in a flexible, antibacterial thermoplastic polyurethane pack, which is to be worn under a hat or helmet. It is designed to be stored in the freezer before use. Ice Head comes in small, medium and large and costs about $27.
• On July 2, University of Lleida professor Luisa Cabeza was presented with the Academic Career Award by the Association of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia for her dedication to training future engineers and for serving as „a reference expert in the field of energy at European level.“ Among the association’s areas of focus are „thermal energy storage technologies, energy efficiency of buildings or artificial intelligence applied to control strategies, among others.”
• PLUSS Advanced Technologies’ Managing Director Samit Jain is featured in a recent interview with CXO Today. Jain talked about the broad applications of phase change materials for thermal management, including batteries and electronics, personal cooling wear, space heating and cooling, and cold storage for pharmaceuticals and food transport.
• HeatVentors was featured in PV Magazine in July for its PCM-based thermal battery. The Hungarian startup says the battery has capacities of 10 kWh, 30 kWh and 60 kWh and has an expected service life of more than 10,000 cycles. A Q&A with HeatVentors CEO József Kakas was featured in the November 2023 issue of the Phase Change Matters newsletter.
PATENTS
Interlocking modular phase change material system for cargo container
U.S. patent application 12017845 (Advanced Composite Structures, LLC, Charleston, South Carolina):
„In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a temperature control assembly or system for an air cargo container is provided. The temperature control assembly can include a plurality of a modular, interlocking packs, bottles, or other suitable containers that contain a phase change material (“PCM”). The modular interlocking packs can be configured to be received within the air cargo container, e.g., to facilitate temperature control, such as cooling, heating, or maintenance of a prescribed temperature, within the container. The PCM can include water and/or a wide variety of organic or inorganic material (solid, liquid, or gaseous materials) that can absorb or release energy at selected temperatures, that change phase at various temperatures in a range of −100° C. to 100° C.“
Heating and cooling systems and apparatuses with phase change materials
U.S. patent application 11994348 (Stash Energy, Inc., Fredericton, California):
„A system for selectively heating and cooling including a three-way heat exchange apparatus, a source apparatus for selectively heating and cooling a source fluid, a phase change material for selectively storing heating and cooling potential, and a distribution apparatus for selectively distributing heating and cooling a distribution fluid, wherein the three-way heat exchange apparatus is connected to the phase change material by an interface between the heat exchange apparatus and the phase change material.“
More U.S. patent applications:
Battery pack and cooling system (Volvo Truck Corp., Göteborg, Sweden) | Phase change accumulator (Advanced Energy Storage, LLC, Sandusky, Ohio) | Skating rink that retains refrigeration energy by way of a phase-change material (Sun-Ice Energy PTE Ltd., Singapore) | System for energy consumption reduction and cost savings in a building (Stasis Energy Group, LLC, Bloomington, Minnesota) | Phase change materials composite formulations (The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Arlington, Virginia) | Flexible, heat-conducting, insulating, and viscous phase change heat dissipation sheet (South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China) | Mini solar cooker with heat storage (Mohammad Arhal, Marrakech, Morocco)
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
From California Energy Commission:
• Phase change material-enhanced insulation for residential exterior wall retrofits
From Journal of Materials Science & Technology:
From Construction and Building Materials:
From Case Studies in Thermal Engineering:
From Journal of Energy Storage:
• Recent advancements in applications of encapsulated phase change materials for solar energy systems: A state of the art review
• Phase change thermal storage composite synthesized by impregnating steel-slag-derived porous ceramics with the molten solar salts
• Is the fire performance of phase change materials a significant barrier to implementation in building applications?
• Highly stable mesoporous-controlled corncob biochar confined paraffinic material with exceptional latent heat retention performance
From ACS Omega:
• Thermal-Responsive Smart Windows with Passive Dimming and Thermal Energy Storage
From Materials Today: Proceedings:
From Energy Reports:
From Energy:
From Energy Technology:
From Journal of Building Engineering:
• Application of phase change material on solar-greenhouse back wall and its effects on indoor thermal environment and cucumber production in winter
• Evaluation of wavy wall configurations for accelerated heat recovery in triplex-tube energy storage units for building heating applications
• Thermal behaviour of a gypsum board incorporated with phase change materials
From Energy and Buildings:
From Process Safety and Environmental Protection:
From Electromechanical Engineering and Its Applications:
From International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer:
From Nature Communications:
• Supercooled erythritol for high-performance seasonal thermal energy storage
From Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells:
• Experimental and numerical assessment of thermal characteristics of PCM in a U-shaped heat exchanger using porous metal foam and NanoPowder
• Preparation and heat storage characteristics of high-temperature phase change macrocapsules of chloride eutectic salt
From Applied Thermal Engineering:
From Journal of Alloys and Compounds:
From Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry:
NETWORKING
Connect with PCM experts and industry leaders on LinkedIn
More than 1,800 people have joined a LinkedIn group devoted to the discussion of phase change material and thermal energy storage. You are invited to join the Phase Change Matters group and connect with PCM and TES experts from around the world.
This month we welcome Brian Lebens, director of business development at PLUSS Advanced Technologies, Asheville, N.C.; Fabiola Camilo Fuentes, sales representative at Aislapol SA, Santiago, Chile; François Faraldo, Ph.D. researcher and project manager at PackGy, Rennes, France; Hari Pandey, graduate research assistant at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas; Tahereh Gorjibandpy, researcher at the University of Guelph’s School of Engineering, Guelph, Canada; and Gerald Singer, electric vehicle chemist at Prestone Products Corp., Stamford, Connecticut.
NEWS TIPS
Does your company, agency or university have a job opening, new research, new product or other news you’d like to share? I would love to hear from you. Please contact newsletter editor Amy Phillips at phasechangematters@gmail.com.
A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR
This newsletter is made possible through the generous support of the RAL Quality Association PCM and the members listed below. To learn more about the association, including membership benefits, please contact Stefan Thomann, executive director, at pcm@kellencompany.com.
Axiotherm GmbH | B Medical Systems | Croda International Plc. | ISU Chemical Co. Ltd. | RuhrTech | Microtek Laboratories | PCM Technology | PLUSS Advanced Technologies | PureTemp LLC | Rubitherm Technologies GmbH | Sasol Germany GmbH | S.Lab Asia Inc. | Sunamp Ltd. | va-Q-tec AG