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MARKET RESEARCH
20% CAGR projected for advanced PCMs globally
The global market for advanced PCMs is projected to reach $1.47 billion by 2019, according to ReportsnReports.com. That represents a compound annual growth rate of more than 20 percent over the next five years. The market for thermal energy storage PCMs is projected to register a CAGR of 22 percent in that period.“Organic PCM are projected to have the higher growth rate than inorganic PCM due to the higher prices and ease of microencapsulation for organic PCM,” according to the report.
http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/237733-advanced-phase-change-material-pcm-market-by-type-inorganic-organic-bio-based-application-building-construction-cold-storage-hvac-textile-thermal-energy-storage-electronics-global-trends-forecast-to-2018.html
NEW PRODUCTS
Gibson wireless headphones feature Outlast PCM
Guitar-maker Gibson has entered the headphone market with a bluetooth model designed with help from Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt. The Trainer, geared toward athletes, employs Outlast phase change material to keep the ear pads at a comfortable temperature. The weather- and sweat-resistant headphones are expected to be available in April with a retail price of $239.
http://www.twice.com/news/headphones/gibson-enters-headphones-new-brand/55465SUSTAINABILITY
Ten strategies for sustainable lab design
Blake Jackson and Stephen Palumbo of Tsoi/Kobus and Associates and Jacob Knowles of BR+A Consulting Engineers offer 10 practical strategies to guide laboratory design with sustainability in mind. Strategy No. 1: Reduce lighting power densities. The authors note that building codes are lowering LPD thresholds, thanks to the availability of cheaper and more energy-efficient LEDs for ambient and task lighting.
http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/articles/2015/01/ten-strategies-sustainable-lab-design
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
- Preparation and exhaustive characterization of paraffin or palmitic acid microcapsules as novel phase change material [Solar Energy]
- An experimental study on rheological behaviors of paraffin/water phase change emulsion [Solar Energy]
- Microencapsulation of n‐hexadecanol by in situ polymerization of melamine–formaldehyde resin in emulsion stabilized by styrene–maleic anhydride copolymer [International Journal of Energy Research]
- Thermal protection design for flight data recorders [International Heat Transfer Conference 15]
- Improving solidification structure of paraffin-based nanofluid by surfactant and ultrasound [International Heat Transfer Conference 15]
- PCM-based energy recovery from electric arc furnaces [Applied Energy]
LEGISLATION
Review of advanced energy legislation in 2014
Colorado State University’s Center for the New Energy Economy has released a summary of advanced energy legislation passed in U.S. states in 2014. Some 430 advanced energy bills became law, down from 713 in 2013. Changes to renewable portfolio standards were enacted in 12 states, including Maine, South Carolina and Massachusetts.
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE
CSP storage system has theoretical thermal efficiency of more than 74%
Using a novel modeling tool for concentrated solar power, Spanish researchers have designed a more efficient storage system employing multilayered phase change material. The CSP system has a theoretical thermal efficiency of more than 74 percent and requires only a third of the molten salt needed in traditional two-tank systems.
The system was first described in “A New Thermocline-PCM Thermal Storage Concept for CSP Plants. Numerical Analysis and Perspectives,” a paper presented at SolarPACES 2013. “The key aspect of this new concept,” the researchers wrote, “is the inclusion of PCM layers at both ends of the tank, whose fusion temperatures are conveniently chosen to be inside the ‘admissible’ temperature ranges for the outlet of both charge and discharge processes.”
JOB POSTING
Help wanted: Sales Engineer with technical, sales and relationship-building skills
Entropy Solutions is hiring. The successful applicant for Sales Engineer must possess a combination of technical, sales and relationship-building skills. An engineering degree, preferably mechanical, is required, along with a minimum of five years of related business-to-business experience. He or she will work closely with the VP of Business Development, providing direct support to Entropy’s key customers, channel partners and vendors, while taking the lead in managing incoming inquiries. http://bit.ly/1BMUx0S
That’s all for this week. Thanks for your interest in PureTemp. And remember … Phase Change Matters!