THERMAL

ENERGY
STORAGE

natural
energy-saving
unique
 Welcome to PCM:

For more than a decade we have been involved in the development of

Phase Change Materials (PCMs). With unrivalled experience in
designing and advising on PCM installations and applications, we
continue to push the boundaries in PCM usage for the benefit of our
ever-growing customer base.
In addition to our technical expertise, we offer (under the PlusICE
branding) what we believe to be the most comprehensive range of
PCM solutions currently available commercially (-100OC (-148OF) to
+885OC (1,625OF) ).
From initial concept, research and development to
production and distribution, our office and
Thermal Energy Storage (TES): manufacturing facility in the UK and our Licensed
outlets around the world offer bespoke products to meet
unique customer requirements.
Thermal Energy Storage TES is the temporary storage of high or low
temperature energy for later use, bridging the gap between And of course, good ideas are not the exclusive right of
requirement and energy use. The storage cycle might be daily, weekly PCM! Many of the non-standard applications are initiated
or seasonal depending on the system design requirements, and whilst by our customers, whether end-user or
the output will always be thermal, the input may be thermal or developer. Our technical team is happy to take ideas from
conception through to completion including full
electrical. commercialisation, with or without our production
under a Licensee option.

REDUCED RUNNING COST -load shifting provides reliable operation and lower annual electricity/energy running costs

REDUCED MACHINERY -shifting some of the peak load may enable designers to reduce the main machine size

INCREASED CAPACITY -as a retrofit application, the additional TES load may increase the system output without any additional
machinery
GREEN SOLUTION -reduced machine size means reduced energy consumption, giving lower direct and indirect CO2 emissions

FLEXIBLE SYSTEM -the overall machinery capacity and TES capacity can be exactly matched to system loads

STAND-BY CAPACITY -incase the main machinery fails, the stored energy can be utilised to handle the system loads, thereby
providing a degree of back-up facility

Phase Change Materials (PCMs):

Phase Change Materials, commonly referred to as PCMs, are products that store and release thermal
energy during the processes of melting and freezing. Phase Change Materials release large amounts of
energy upon freezing in the form of latent heat but absorb equal amounts of energy from the
immediate environment upon melting. This enables thermal energy storage; heat or coolness being stored
from one process or period of time and used at a later point in time or transferred to a different location.
PCMs can also be used to provide thermal barriers or insulation, particularly useful for
industry sectors such as temperature-controlled transport.
Interestingly, the simplest, cheapest and most effective Phase Change Material is water/ice. Unfortunately, its freezing
point of 0˚C (+32˚F) precludes it from the majority of energy storage applications. However, a number of alterative Phase
Change Materials have been identified and developed that freeze and melt like water/ice, but at temperatures from the
cryogenic range to several hundred degrees centigrade.
The PlusICE range is arranged into four categories;
Eutectics, solutions of salt in water with a phase change
temperature below 0˚C (+32˚F)
Salt Hydrates, specific salts able to incorporate water of
crystallisation during the freezing process, normally above
0˚C (+32˚F)
Organic Materials, which tend to be polymers
composed primarily of carbon and hydrogen. These mostly
change phase above 0˚C (+32˚F) and can be as simple as
coconut oil, waxes or fatty acids.
Solid-Solid Materials, They have no visible change in the
appearance of the PCM (other than a slight expansion/
contraction) during phase change and therefore overcome all
problems associated with handling liquids, i.e. containment,
potential leakage, etc.
 Applications - Buildings:

Air conditioning: Heat Recovery:

The picture right shows the Malaysian A factory near Turin has been designed
ZEO Project. This is the Zero Energy to utilise CHP (Combined Heat &
Office, designed to capture energy Power) using PCM energy storage for
during night time for release during both hot and cold sides of the system
daytime hours. with superior economics.
Our PCM coolth storage systems
have been successfully applied for a Solar Heating:
variety of chilled water applications The village used to house the athletes
at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games had been built for normal
around the World all the way from US
residential occupation. However, during the Games, the village was
Army Corp. head quarters in Seattle, Saudi High speed train full to capacity and the resultant demand on the energy sapping
stations to Australian Parliament for energy saving and load services such as showers meant that the capacity of the hot water
shifting applications. tanks had to be increased sevenfold with the introduction of PCM.
Free Cooling: Tri-Gen Applications:
The Headquarters of Melbourne City During recent upgrading, the
Council, known as the CH2 building is designers for the National Theatre in
the only 6* energy efficiency building in London applied a tri-gen system
the world. whereby the varying daily electricity,
Cooling towers are run during hours of heating and cooling loads are
darkness, freezing the PCM energy balanced by means of utilising a PCM
energy storage system. Hence,
storage which is then released as cool
handling not only daily but also
during the day. seasonal operational load conditions.
Passive Cooling: Solar House:
Ceiling tiles, as pictured right, at the A purpose-built property in USA provides Comfort cooling and
University of Westminster, London
heating without the need for any extenal energy input.
naturally freeze overnight and release
cool during the day as an energy-free Solar Air Conditioning:
cooling. The winning bid for the FIFA 2022
World Cup by Qatar is based on a zero
Fabric TES: carbon cooling design using solar
Granular PCM is absorbed into building materials, such as plaster- energy to drive the air conditioning
board and concrete to aid the balance between temperature energy in PCM tanks. This occurs
extremes in much the same way that old properties with high while the stadium is not in use, and the
ceilings and thick walls achieve a comfortable temperature range. stored cool energy can then be used to provide the air
conditioning during Word Cup matches.

Applications - Temperature Controlled

Packaging & Transport:
Road Transport: Eutectic Plates:
A huge percentage of our food is transported by road with Imagine a picnic cooler box, well
refrigerated vehicles now commonplace. PCM technology these plates work in exactly the
offers both mechanical-refrigeration-free and back-up same way but on a larger scale and
cooling options. for a wide range of cold and hot
Cold Store Back-up: temperature applications.
A power failure is potentially
Electric-free Refrigeration
extremely costly in food
storage. In countries with less & Food
reliable power supplies, PCM Display
technology has been employed Cooling:
in warehouses to effectively
Free cooling
soak the heat out of the storage area to ensure that the
or heat
products remain unspoilt.
retention - utilised on food trolleys,
Shipping: salad cabinets and serve-ove counters that are seen on
Phase Change Material is public transport and the London Underground.
now utilised in road, air and
sea freight as a cooling Packaging - Pharmaceutical and Medical:
medium that provides electricity-free Pharmaceuticals, medical
cooling solutions. supplies and blood products are
Marine Back-up Cooling temperature critical. PlusICE
On some vessels, as soon as the engine solutions are used by military
stops, the refrigeration facility does organisations around the
likewise. These beams pictured right world for the packaging and
allow the temperature to remain under transportation of medicine,
control. blood and tissue.
 Applications - Passive Cooling:

Telecom Shelters: Shelter Passive Cooling:

It is imperative to keep electronics The PCM freezes overnight to
under 45˚C (+1 13˚F) safety limit in absorb heat during hotter daylight
hours as well as internal heat
order to keep the system functioning.
generation in applications such as
PCM based passive cooling system remote pump-station control rooms,
freezes over night and later this stored to provide an electric-free solution.
energy soaks up both the internal and Electronic Back-up Cooling:
external heat loads during day-time Many I.T. centres have their own
and keep the shelter’s inside power supply backed up by gen-
temperatures under control. erators or UPS for the computers.
Electronic Cooling: Unfortunately, as soon as the
Performing the role power goes off, the temperature
of a thermal shock rises. The PCM acts like a thermal
absorber, the PCM sponge, soaking the heat from
area and offers an electric-free
prevents
back-up cooling solution.
electronics
exceeding their
Enclosures / Control
critical temperature. PCM is applied to Boxes:
ATM’s. as passive cooling in hot climates. By simply charging the PCM
Battery Cooling: containers utilising the night cooler
PCM technology gives extended life to the, batteries by keeping ambient, the day internal and solar
the temperature down. Cooler batteries result in longer life and gains can be handled without the
better performance. need for a mechanical cooling and
Thermal Barrier: the electronic components can be
PCM heat shields are successfully kept below their upper safety limits
applied for data logger protection and operate safely anywhere in the World. Signals boxes in
against heat such jet engine testing, the UK rail network rely on PCM thermal stabilisation.
furnace and hot environments.

Applications - Solar Heating & Heat Recovery:

Industrial Applications: Underfloor Heating:

PlusICE solutions enable Although
designers around the world to solar
apply the PCM technology, collectors
stabilising heat loads and are not
matching heat load time capable of
balance for an economical and producing
reliable operation. Loads in high enough
dairies, breweries and food energy to
factories can be simply balanced by PCM TES systems to suit the charge the
operating temperatures of the system to cut any waste hot water
energy. during
winter
Domestic Hot Water: periods but they can still be
capable of charging a +27O
Phase Change Materials added to (81OF) PCM underfloor
standard domestic immersion tank energy storage circuit
increase the hot water storage whereby the surplus sun
capacity many times over. energy can be stored and
later used over-night.
Commonwealth Games Effectively, the whole building
Village Australia: heating loads can be
satisfied by simply using
Utilising Solar TES. During the period of the solar circuit.
Games, the requirements for additional hot water
in order to cover the excessive occupancy level Solar House
were increased dramatically. Project USA:
Built for the Solar Decathlon
Heating Solar TES: competition, the Solar House
provides comfort cooling by
The time lag between energy availability and
simply storing cold night
consumption between the midday sun and hot
energy and heating by
water heating requirements is bridged by PCM
storing daytime solar energy,
TES which offers economic and efficient
negating the need for any
installation.
energy input.
 Product & Application Development;

Aero & Space Applications:

We are extremely proud to have been involved in providing our
expertise to a number of aero & space projects. PCM technology has
been utilised as heat blocks to keep the electronics under control.
PCM is also used within the capsules used for collecting samples and
the PCM ensure these samples remain at the same temperature until
opened for examination and research.
Automotive Passive Cooling:
In some parts of the world experiencing hotter climates
without the luxury of air conditioning in motor cars,
PCM Passive Cooling has been adopted to keep the
Since 1996 our design team has
driver cool. Using a +32°C (+90°F) PCM that freezes
overnight, the driver’s comfort is ensured when the been working on many different
PCM melts.We have also worked on hydrogen car fuel products and applications, from the
storage, electric cars heating and cooling energy
storage modules as well as air conditioning back-up / top up storage. International Space Station to the
submarine cooling applications.
Military Backpack Battery Cooling:
The battery backpack used by the armed forces Our PlusICE range of products
enjoys longer life and better performance when
kept cool. The PCM technology increases battery including FlatICE, BallICE, TubelCE,
life at a critical time. Eutectic Plates and Pouches enables
us to develop and apply both organic
Food & Drink Cooling . Heating:
A project undertaken for a major global player and hydrated salt based PCMs for a
resulted in a +4OC (+39OF) PCM ensuring that a can variety of applications around the
of drink remained at this temperature for four
hours. world.

Passive Furniture / Data Safe Cooling: We have many licencees using our
PCMs have been introduced into fabrics used in
furniture production and even bed-sheets to PlusICE product range, either as raw
achieve optimum comfort. Data safety boxes may material or manufactured product.
stand the fire but the heat generated by the fire
renders the data useless and by using PCM to
Some of the applications are initiated
keep the content of the safe below upper by our organisation, but the majority
temperature limit for 4~6 hours provides enough of non-standard applications come
time for the fire fighters to rescue the safety box and save the data files
inside the safe. from the minds of the end-user or
Human Comfort & Body Cooling: developer.
This technology has finally made it into ‘ice
jackets’, used by firefighters and operatives in
uncomfortable working Our technical team prides itself on
environments. In taking customer ideas from concept
another application,
PCM based cooling to completion.
cushions have been
incorporated into prosthetic breast implants to
contain excess heat generated by the chest wall.
PCM’s are also used in cushions for wheelchair users to protect and
overcome hotspots.

Formula-1 Applications:
Following the Malaysian Grand Prix we had two weeks to design and
produce a product geared to improving driver comfort throughout the
race. The problem had arisen due to extreme high temperatures
during the race causing the rehydration bottle to become so hot that it
was unusable. Prior to the next Grand Prix, the car was equipped with
water bottles encased in PCM ensuring that the driver did not become
dehydrated. PCM’s are also applied to stabilise the fuel tank
temperatures as part of the fuel management.
Unit 32, Mere View Industrial Estate, Yaxley, Cambridgeshire, PE7 3HS, United Kingdom.
Telephone: +44-(0) 1733 245511
Facsmile: +44-(0) 1733 243344
Email: [email protected]
www.pcmproducts.net