Fibrous Materials for Potential Efficient Energy Recovery at Low-Temperature Heat

Abstract

Technology must improve energy generation and utilization to support human societies. All highly industrialized nations support the attempt to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources—a process which is irreversible—but the support is not yet strong enough to make the switch. Energy-efficient and renewable heating and cooling systems offer considerable energy saving potential, since buildings use a large percentage of EU energy for heating and cooling, which still uses fossil fuels (75%). For this transition, innovation regarding the traditional material for thermal energy storage appears to be crucial. This work proposes a review of a new approach to thermochemical materials for energy recovery in the low-temperature range, based on the production of microfibers by electrospinning. The novelty of applying fibrous materials in thermal energy storage systems is related to the particular configuration of the adsorbing phase and the production technique used. Microfibers show a large surface area, high vapor permeability, and high structural stability, and they can be easily electrospun to form self-standing foils or coatings for heat exchangers.