A review on recent developments in physisorption thermal energy storage for building applications

On one hand, physical adsorption, also named physisorption, is a process that can be used to storage thermal energy with an energy density higher than sensible or latent storages. On the other hand, in Europe, 26% of the final energy consumption is related to the energy systems of households [1] and 80% of this energy is needed for heating purposes [2]. The consequence is the development of thermal energy storage systems, based on physisoprtion, for building application. The objective of this paper is first to present the basics concerning physisorption heat storage. Then, experimental developments from the literature are reviewed, based on three scales: the material scale, the reactor scale and the system scale. From the review, development of commercial systems faces with scientific and technological issues that must be addressed to reach a higher technology readiness level with an acceptable system cost.