3 ms·
Phase change materials are a way to store lots of energy at a given temperature. You might have noticed how much time it takes to freeze something - that's bec
by _Microft 3y ago
Phase change materials are a way to store lots of energy at a given temperature.
You might have noticed how much time it takes to freeze something - that's because lots of energy need to be extracted from liquid water to turn it to ice. And that without even changing temperature - it all happens at 0°C. With other materials, you can have a similiar effect at other temperatures. This can be used to create a system that keeps a certain temperature even if energy flows into or out of it (until the phase transition is complete).
Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-change_material https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-change_material
- bombcar 3y agoYou can do it with hot water too - heat your water to near boiling, and merge it with cold to make the desired temperature. The heater won’t turn on until the temperature drops below a threshold. Using this you can avoid hearing water during high demand times.
- _Microft 3y agoA phase transition can store lots of energy without the inconvenience of changing temperature. Melting water ice into liquid water at 0°C takes approximately as much energy as heating the same amount of water from 0°C (assuming that it is already/still liquid) to 80°C. With a material that has a transition temperature of e.g. 21°C, a room could be kept at a very pleasant temperature even when energy is flowing into or out of it.