Maks Diakiewicz
PhD Title: Mathematical modelling of phase-change materials for energy storage applications
PhD Supervisor: Ferran Brosa Planella
Contact: Maks.Diakiewicz@warwick.ac.uk
Project overview: Thermal energy storage (TES) devices store heat to help balance the supply and demand of renewable energy sources. In particular, latent heat thermal energy storage devices store heat as latent energy. Operating over relatively low temperature ranges, these systems offer high energy density and efficient storage capabilities compared to other TES technologies. At their core are phase change materials (PCMs), which absorb and release energy through melting and solidification. However, important physical effects such as supercooling and natural convection remain insufficiently understood, despite their potential impact under typical operating conditions. This project focuses on developing and analysing mathematical models, both analytically and numerically, to describe these phenomena and improve the predictive understanding and performance of PCM-based TES.
