The European Green Deal’s ambitious climate neutrality targets demand advanced energy storage solutions to manage renewable energy intermittency. Thermal energy storage (TES) plays a crucial role, particularly for industrial waste heat recovery and solar applications. Among phase change materials (PCMs), erythritol—a natural polyol with a melting point of 118–120°C—has emerged as a promising candidate for medium-temperature storage. However, its low thermal conductivity remains a significant challenge. This study investigates erythritol’s thermal behavior during the charging phase (melting) within 3D-printed metallic structures made of AlSi10Mg-0403 aluminum alloy. Cellular structures with varying base sizes (10, 20, and 40 mm) and a constant 95% porosity were fabricated and integrated into 42×42×60 mm modules, each filled with 60 g of erythritol. The aim is to compare the response of different materials under identical working conditions. After analyzing erythritol-based structures in detail, the obtained data are compared with previous results on paraffin-based systems. Findings reveal that erythritol and paraffin respond differently to the same thermal stimuli, emphasizing the importance of material-specific analysis. These results highlight the need for case-by-case studies rather than generalizing thermal performance trends across different PCM families.
Erythritol in 3d cellular structures for eco-friendly high-temperature latent storages
Giulia Righetti;Dario Guarda;Ernesta Baaba Mensah;Claudio Zilio;Simone Mancin
2025
Abstract
The European Green Deal’s ambitious climate neutrality targets demand advanced energy storage solutions to manage renewable energy intermittency. Thermal energy storage (TES) plays a crucial role, particularly for industrial waste heat recovery and solar applications. Among phase change materials (PCMs), erythritol—a natural polyol with a melting point of 118–120°C—has emerged as a promising candidate for medium-temperature storage. However, its low thermal conductivity remains a significant challenge. This study investigates erythritol’s thermal behavior during the charging phase (melting) within 3D-printed metallic structures made of AlSi10Mg-0403 aluminum alloy. Cellular structures with varying base sizes (10, 20, and 40 mm) and a constant 95% porosity were fabricated and integrated into 42×42×60 mm modules, each filled with 60 g of erythritol. The aim is to compare the response of different materials under identical working conditions. After analyzing erythritol-based structures in detail, the obtained data are compared with previous results on paraffin-based systems. Findings reveal that erythritol and paraffin respond differently to the same thermal stimuli, emphasizing the importance of material-specific analysis. These results highlight the need for case-by-case studies rather than generalizing thermal performance trends across different PCM families.
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