Recent advances on thermal energy storage using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)

Abstract

The development of novel efficient materials for thermal energy storage (TES) is an important step in the storage and utilisation of renewable energy. During the charging period, TES process stores heat and later releases it during the discharging period. TES is a technology that can be utilized in residential heat storage systems for building application and heating/cooling (refrigeration), solar plants in making thin films for solar cells (photovoltaic cells) and industrial processes such as in metallurgy, seawater desalination, air-conditioners and adsorptive heat transformations for heat pumps. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a novel class of porous materials with intriguing properties such as high stability, high inner surface areas and tuneable pore sizes. MOFs have also been utilized in adsorption thermal energy storage (ATES) applications; however, very limited information is available from the literature on the performance of MOFs in ATES and their comparisons to conventional adsorbents. This work presents a comprehensive review on the application of MOFS for ATES through evaluation of the recent developments and their use in adsorption thermal energy storage applications. Strategies to improve operating conditions and MOFs performance in ATES and the gaps in knowledge are identified. Recommendations and future research needs are also provided.