Solution by AGH University doctoral student awarded in invention competition

The author of the project is a graduate of Materials Engineering at the Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics. Currently, she is a doctoral student at the AGH University Doctoral School and an assistant in the Department of Glass Technology and Amorphous Coatings at the Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics. The co-author of the invention is Professor Kinga Pielichowska.

Phase change material with shape stabilisation, method for producing thereof and use thereof (pat. no. PL 247828 B1)

The patented invention is related to phase change materials (PCM) with shape stabilisation intended for long-term heat accumulation. PCMs are materials that store heat during phase changes, for example in the transition from a solid phase to a liquid phase (absorption) and give it back once they come back to the solid phase (release). As a result, it is possible to store large amounts of heat in a small volume of material. The key element of the invention is the stabilisation of the PCM shape that prevents the material from leaking above the melting point. The stabilisation takes place as a result of capillary action and hydrogen bonding, which allows the initial shape to be maintained without additional enclosures. The project uses sugar alcohols (dulcitol, myo-inositol, d-mannitol) and polysaccharides (starch, chitosan, sodium alginate, gellan gum) as stabilisers. All materials come from renewable sources and are biodegradable, which facilitates recycling. In addition, these substances are commonly used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, which increases the availability and safety of the technology.

The patented materials can be used to store thermal energy from renewable sources wherever there is a periodic excess of heat that can be used at a later time or in another location. The technology enables the creation of mobile heat storage facilities that allow energy to be transported from the point of generation to the point of consumption. The invention can be used in the chemical industry for heat recovery from exothermic reactions, as well as in the energy sector and heat and power plants. The PCMs with shape stabilisation will also perform well in heat exchangers, where energy from exothermic processes is stored and transferred to other parts of the installation. What is more, some systems enable seasonal heat accumulation, which means charging the storage facility in summer and using the accumulated energy in winter. These solutions enable higher energy efficiency, limit heat loss, and support the transformation to sustainable technologies.

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The National Student-Inventor Competition has been attracting talented students and doctoral students from all over Poland. This year, the Kielce University of Technology, the competition’s organiser, selected five winning innovative solutions out of 114 submissions. There were also 12 special prizes.