All Outputs (20)

An extensive analysis of the utilisation of phase change materials in food storage process (2025)
Journal Article
Han, L., Zhang, S., Wright, E., Zheng, X., & Yan, Y. (2025). An extensive analysis of the utilisation of phase change materials in food storage process. Journal of Energy Storage, 111, Article 115391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2025.115391

With improving living standards, the demand for high-quality food is escalating. Conventional food storage methods often entail issues such as limitations in sustaining food quality and related energy wastage. The utilisation of PCMs in the food stor... Read More about An extensive analysis of the utilisation of phase change materials in food storage process.

Thermoelectric system investigation with the combination of solar concentration, greenhouse and radiative cooling for all-day power generation (2024)
Journal Article
Yang, Z., Fuqiang, W., Fu, Z., Dong, Y., Zou, H., Chen, X., Yan, Y., & Zhang, S. (2024). Thermoelectric system investigation with the combination of solar concentration, greenhouse and radiative cooling for all-day power generation. Renewable Energy, 231, Article 120903. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.120903

Thermoelectric generator (TEG) can utilize solar heating to generate electricity without any fossil fuel consumption. However, conventional solar driven TEG fails to achieve high efficiency power generation for 24-h, due to the losing of solar concen... Read More about Thermoelectric system investigation with the combination of solar concentration, greenhouse and radiative cooling for all-day power generation.

Enhancing the thermal cyclic reliability of salt-based shape-stabilized phase change materials by in-situ SiO2–C interconnectivity in rice husk carbon (2024)
Journal Article
Li, Z., Wang, Y., Wang, H., Zhang, S., Shang, Z., Tian, L., & Yan, Y. (2024). Enhancing the thermal cyclic reliability of salt-based shape-stabilized phase change materials by in-situ SiO2–C interconnectivity in rice husk carbon. Journal of Cleaner Production, 466, Article 142864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142864

Utilizing salt-based shape-stabilized phase change materials (ss-PCMs) for high-temperature thermal energy storage stands as a pivotal avenue in realizing carbon neutrality. However, the performance of ss-PCMs significantly deteriorates after thermal... Read More about Enhancing the thermal cyclic reliability of salt-based shape-stabilized phase change materials by in-situ SiO2–C interconnectivity in rice husk carbon.

Analysis of the heat transfer and anti-corrosion performance of an aluminum nitride porous ceramic skeleton with controllable preparation (2024)
Journal Article
Wang, H., Li, Z., Shang, Z., Tian, L., Zhang, S., & Yan, Y. (2024). Analysis of the heat transfer and anti-corrosion performance of an aluminum nitride porous ceramic skeleton with controllable preparation. Applied Thermal Engineering, 244, Article 122687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.122687

Porous skeletons play a positive role in improving the heat storage and release rate of molten salt phase change materials, making their development a research hot spot. However, the current simple structure of the porous skeletons limits their appli... Read More about Analysis of the heat transfer and anti-corrosion performance of an aluminum nitride porous ceramic skeleton with controllable preparation.

Charging and discharging in thermal energy storage unit with fin-stone hybrid structure for enhancing heat transfer of phase change materials (2024)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Yan, Y., Cheng, Z., & Wang, F. (2024). Charging and discharging in thermal energy storage unit with fin-stone hybrid structure for enhancing heat transfer of phase change materials. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 224, Article 125325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2024.125325

This work proposes a fin-stone hybrid structure integrating fins (popular thermal enhancers) and natural stones (widely used sensible heat storage media) to enhance the heat transfer of phase change materials for on-site thermal energy storage applic... Read More about Charging and discharging in thermal energy storage unit with fin-stone hybrid structure for enhancing heat transfer of phase change materials.

Light environment control for reducing energy loss and increasing crop yield in plant factories (2023)
Journal Article
Zou, H., Li, C., Zhang, A., Zhang, X., Chen, X., Wang, F., Yan, Y., & Zhang, S. (2024). Light environment control for reducing energy loss and increasing crop yield in plant factories. Solar Energy, 268, Article 112281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2023.112281

Energy utilization for plant lighting is one of the primary constraints of the development of plant factories. Most researchers overlook the impact of energy attenuation during the propagation process on energy efficiency utilization, and the redistr... Read More about Light environment control for reducing energy loss and increasing crop yield in plant factories.

Hybrid sensible-latent heat thermal energy storage using natural stones to enhance heat transfer: Energy, exergy, and economic analysis (2023)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Li, Y., & Yan, Y. (2024). Hybrid sensible-latent heat thermal energy storage using natural stones to enhance heat transfer: Energy, exergy, and economic analysis. Energy, 286, Article 129530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.129530

Latent heat thermal energy storage addresses the mismatch between energy supply and demand; however, phase change materials (PCM) commonly have the issue of low thermal conductivity. Natural stones, as low-cost and environmentally friendly sensible h... Read More about Hybrid sensible-latent heat thermal energy storage using natural stones to enhance heat transfer: Energy, exergy, and economic analysis.

Preparation and performance improvement of phase change materials with Skin-Flesh structure inspired by loofah (2023)
Journal Article
Li, Z., Tian, L., Shang, Z., Wang, Y., Wang, H., Zhang, S., & Yan, Y. (2023). Preparation and performance improvement of phase change materials with Skin-Flesh structure inspired by loofah. Applied Thermal Engineering, 231, Article 120973. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120973

Leakage and low thermal conductivity limit the application of molten salts in thermal energy storage (TES) systems. Inspired by the skin-flesh structure of loofah, a porous ceramic with dense skin was designed and prepared. The dense skin prevents mo... Read More about Preparation and performance improvement of phase change materials with Skin-Flesh structure inspired by loofah.

Evaluation and optimisation of hybrid sensible-latent heat thermal energy storage unit with natural stones to enhance heat transfer (2023)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., & Yan, Y. (2023). Evaluation and optimisation of hybrid sensible-latent heat thermal energy storage unit with natural stones to enhance heat transfer. Renewable Energy, 215, Article 118921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2023.118921

Latent heat thermal energy storage improves the utilization efficiency of renewable energy. Phase change materials (PCMs) commonly suffer from low thermal conductivity and many heat transfer enhancement methods have been developed. However, conventio... Read More about Evaluation and optimisation of hybrid sensible-latent heat thermal energy storage unit with natural stones to enhance heat transfer.

Comparative study on heat transfer enhancement of metal foam and fins in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit (2023)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Li, Z., Yan, Y., Alston, M., & Tian, L. (2023). Comparative study on heat transfer enhancement of metal foam and fins in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit. Energy Storage and Saving, 2(3), 487-494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enss.2023.03.004

Metal foam and fins are two popular structures that are employed to enhance the heat transfer of phase change materials in shell-and-tube heat storage units. However, it remains unclear which structure is better in terms of energy storage performance... Read More about Comparative study on heat transfer enhancement of metal foam and fins in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit.

Comprehensive thermal energy storage analysis of ceramic foam-enhanced molten salt in a shell-and-tube unit (2023)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Yan, Y., Jin, Y., & Gao, Y. (2023). Comprehensive thermal energy storage analysis of ceramic foam-enhanced molten salt in a shell-and-tube unit. Solar Energy, 255, 381-395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2023.02.021

Ceramic foam can be used to enhance the energy storage efficiency of molten salt for high-temperature solar thermal applications. However, its performance in a shell-and-tube unit is not fully understood. In this study, the energy storage performance... Read More about Comprehensive thermal energy storage analysis of ceramic foam-enhanced molten salt in a shell-and-tube unit.

Energy, exergy and economic analysis of ceramic foam-enhanced molten salt as phase change material for medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage (2022)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., & Yan, Y. (2023). Energy, exergy and economic analysis of ceramic foam-enhanced molten salt as phase change material for medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage. Energy, 262(Part A), Article 125462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.125462

This study carried out comprehensive energy, exergy and economic analysis of ceramic foam/molten salt composite phase change material (CPCM) for use in medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage systems. Ceramic foams with various pore confi... Read More about Energy, exergy and economic analysis of ceramic foam-enhanced molten salt as phase change material for medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage.

Evaluation of discharging performance of molten salt/ceramic foam composite phase change material in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit (2022)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., & Yan, Y. (2022). Evaluation of discharging performance of molten salt/ceramic foam composite phase change material in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit. Renewable Energy, 198, 1210-1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.08.124

Molten salts are widely used energy storage media in integrated solar power systems, however, due to their high corrosivity and the extreme high-temperature environment, many current methods of heat transfer enhancement do not apply. Herein, we propo... Read More about Evaluation of discharging performance of molten salt/ceramic foam composite phase change material in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit.

Heat transfer characteristics of ceramic foam/molten salt composite phase change material (CPCM) for medium-temperature thermal energy storage (2022)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Yao, Y., Jin, Y., Shang, Z., & Yan, Y. (2022). Heat transfer characteristics of ceramic foam/molten salt composite phase change material (CPCM) for medium-temperature thermal energy storage. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 196, Article 123262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2022.123262

Molten salts have been widely used as energy storage materials in medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage. However, pure salt commonly suffers from low thermal conductivity and many conventional methods of heat transfer enhancement do not... Read More about Heat transfer characteristics of ceramic foam/molten salt composite phase change material (CPCM) for medium-temperature thermal energy storage.

Heat transfer characteristics and compatibility of molten salt/ceramic porous composite phase change material (2022)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Li, Z., Yao, Y., Tian, L., & Yan, Y. (2022). Heat transfer characteristics and compatibility of molten salt/ceramic porous composite phase change material. Nano Energy, 100, Article 107476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2022.107476

Molten salts are popular energy storage materials for medium- and high-temperature thermal energy storage. However, current methods for heat transfer enhancement do not apply due to the high corrosivity of molten salts and extreme high-temperature en... Read More about Heat transfer characteristics and compatibility of molten salt/ceramic porous composite phase change material.

Component-dependent thermal properties of molten salt eutectics for solar thermal energy storage: Experiments, molecular simulation and applications (2022)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Li, Z., Wang, H., Tian, L., Jin, Y., Alston, M., & Yan, Y. (2022). Component-dependent thermal properties of molten salt eutectics for solar thermal energy storage: Experiments, molecular simulation and applications. Applied Thermal Engineering, 209, Article 118333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.118333

Molten salts have been used in solar thermal energy storage due to their high energy storage density, low cost and excellent chemical stability. However, their application is limited by “bad days” such as cloudy days and winter because the weak conce... Read More about Component-dependent thermal properties of molten salt eutectics for solar thermal energy storage: Experiments, molecular simulation and applications.

Depression of melting point and latent heat of molten salts as inorganic phase change material: size effect and mechanism (2021)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Jin, Y., & Yan, Y. (2022). Depression of melting point and latent heat of molten salts as inorganic phase change material: size effect and mechanism. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 346, Article 117058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2021.117058

The depression of melting point and latent heat is a common phenomenon for nanoporous shape-stabilised phase change materials (ss-PCMs), however, the underlying mechanism is not well understood, especially from the microscopic perspective. As PCMs ar... Read More about Depression of melting point and latent heat of molten salts as inorganic phase change material: size effect and mechanism.

Thermo-physical properties prediction of carbon-based magnetic nanofluids based on an artificial neural network (2021)
Journal Article
Shi, L., Zhang, S., Arshad, A., Hu, Y., He, Y., & Yan, Y. (2021). Thermo-physical properties prediction of carbon-based magnetic nanofluids based on an artificial neural network. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 149, Article 111341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111341

Nanostructured magnetic suspensions have superior thermophysical properties, which have attracted widespread attention owing to their industrial applications for heat transfer enhancement and thermal management. However, experimental measurements of... Read More about Thermo-physical properties prediction of carbon-based magnetic nanofluids based on an artificial neural network.

Melting and thermodynamic properties of nanoscale binary chloride salt as high-temperature energy storage material (2021)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., & Yan, Y. (2021). Melting and thermodynamic properties of nanoscale binary chloride salt as high-temperature energy storage material. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 25, Article 100973. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2021.100973

Phase change heat transfer in nanoporous shape-stabilised phase change materials (ss-PCMs) is of great importance for the efficient utilization of novel energy storage materials. However, the lack of thermodynamic properties hinders the study on phas... Read More about Melting and thermodynamic properties of nanoscale binary chloride salt as high-temperature energy storage material.

A review of phase change heat transfer in shape-stabilized phase change materials (ss-PCMs) based on porous supports for thermal energy storage (2020)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Feng, D., Shi, L., Wang, L., Jin, Y., Tian, L., Li, Z., Wang, G., Zhao, L., & Yan, Y. (2021). A review of phase change heat transfer in shape-stabilized phase change materials (ss-PCMs) based on porous supports for thermal energy storage. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 135, Article 110127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110127

Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) uses phase change materials (PCMs) to store and release heat, and can effectively address the mismatch between energy supply and demand. However, it suffers from low thermal conductivity and the leakage prob... Read More about A review of phase change heat transfer in shape-stabilized phase change materials (ss-PCMs) based on porous supports for thermal energy storage.