Phase change materials for performance enhancement in household refrigeration : a review

Tomc, Urban (author), Klinar, Katja (author), Porenta, Luka (author), Kralj, Marko (author), Bregar, Tomaž (author), Kitanovski, Andrej (author)

This paper reviews the use of phase change materials (PCMs) to improve the performance of household vapour-compression refrigerators. It first summarizes PCM selection criteria (phase-change temperature matching the thermostat range, high latent heat, adequate thermal conductivity, low supercooling/segregation, limited volume change, and chemical stability/safety). Further it outlines the main PCM classes (organic, inorganic, eutectic) together with practical measures such as encapsulation and conductivity enhancement via composites. The review also compiles examples of commercially available PCMs with melting temperatures relevant for refrigeration applications (approximately from −21 °C to +7 °C), highlighting that suitable market-ready solutions already exist. The core of the review compares PCM integration concepts at key locations: (i) at the evaporator, where improved heat transfer can raise evaporating temperature, extend compressor off-time, reduce temperature fluctuations, and support demand-side management; (ii) at the condenser, where lower condensing temperature and shorter on-time are possible but may be offset by more frequent compressor cycling; and (iii) inside the refrigerated compartment, where added thermal inertia dampens temperature swings, mitigates door-opening disturbances, and improves resilience during power outages. Finally, combined placements (e.g., evaporator + condenser) are discussed as a route to synergistic benefits, provided phase-change temperatures and geometry are selected appropriately.

• Language: English
• Keywords: household refrigerator, vapor-compression, PCM, phase change materials, heat transfer, energy efficiency
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 195-207
• Numbering: Vol. 72, no. 7/8
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-188792
• UDC: 536.42:641.546.44
• ISSN on article: 0039-2480
• DOI: 10.5545/sv-jme.2026.1670
• COBISS.SI-ID: 288014339
• Publication date in RUL: 28.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Strojniški vestnik
• Shortened title: Stroj. vestn.
• Publisher: Zveza strojnih inženirjev in tehnikov Slovenije [etc.], = Association of Mechanical Engineers and Technicians of Slovenia [etc.
• ISSN: 0039-2480
• COBISS.SI-ID: 762116

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Materiali s fazno spremembo za izboljšanje učinkovitosti gospodinjskih hladilnikov : pregled stanja

Abstract

V članku je predstavljen pregled uporabe materialov s fazno spremembo (PCM) za izboljšanje učinkovitosti gospodinjskih parno-kompresijskih hladilnikov. Najprej so povzeta merila za izbiro PCM, kot so temperatura faznega prehoda, usklajena s temperaturnim območjem termostata, visoka latentna toplota, ustrezna toplotna prevodnost, majhna stopnja podhlajenja in segregacije, omejena sprememba prostornine ter kemijska stabilnost in varnost. Nato so predstavljene glavne skupine PCM (organski, anorganski in evtektični materiali) ter praktični ukrepi, kot sta enkapsulacija in povečanje toplotne prevodnosti z uporabo kompozitov. Pregled vključuje tudi primere komercialno dostopnih PCM s temperaturami taljenja, primernimi za uporabo v hladilnih sistemih (približno od −21 °C do +7 °C), kar kaže, da so ustrezne tržno dostopne rešitve že na voljo. Osrednji del pregleda primerja različne možnosti vgradnje PCM na ključnih mestih: (i) pri uparjalniku, kjer lahko izboljšan prenos toplote zviša temperaturo uparjanja, podaljša čas mirovanja kompresorja, zmanjša temperaturna nihanja in omogoči učinkovitejše upravljanje odjema električne energije; (ii) pri kondenzatorju, kjer sta mogoča nižja temperatura kondenzacije in krajši čas delovanja kompresorja, vendar lahko te koristi zmanjša pogostejše vklapljanje in izklapljanje kompresorja; ter (iii) v notranjosti hladilnega prostora, kjer povečana toplotna vztrajnost blaži temperaturna nihanja, zmanjšuje vpliv odpiranja vrat in izboljšuje ohranjanje ustrezne temperature ob izpadih električne energije. Na koncu so obravnavane tudi kombinirane postavitve PCM (npr. pri uparjalniku in kondenzatorju), ki lahko omogočijo sinergijske učinke, če so temperature faznega prehoda in geometrija ustrezno izbrane.

• Keywords: gospodinjski hladilnik, parno-kompresijski sistem, materiali s fazno spremembo, prenos toplote, energetska učinkovitost

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: European Union - NextGenerationEU
• Acronym: GREENTECH

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0223
• Name: Prenos toplote in snovi