HEAT STORAGE SYSTEM UTILIZING PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS

A thermal energy transport and storage system (10) is provided which includes an evaporator (12) containing a mixture (14) of a first phase change material and a silica powder, and a condenser (18) containing a second phase change material (20). The silica powder/PCM mixture (14) absorbs heat energy from a source such as a solar collector (16) such that the phase change material forms a vapor which is transported from the evaporator (12) to the condenser (18), where the second phase change material (20) melts and stores the heat energy, then releases the energy to an environmental space via a heat exchanger. The vapor is condensed to a liquid which is transported back to the evaporator (12). The system allows the repeated transfer of thermal energy using the heat of vaporization and condensation of the phase change material (14).