本文介绍了一项与开发一种简单、紧凑的储热装置有关的研究，该装置适用于使用冷冻水冷却盘管的中小型商业应用。该蓄热室的设计基于技术级石蜡相变材料（PCM）的使用，该材料被宏观封装到圆柱形管中，并被密集地包装到安全壳中。为了测试目的，构建了该蓄热室的实验规模模型，并进行了测试，以确定该设计的可行性，并描述其运行特征。实验证明，该蓄热室能够为冷却目的提供可用能源，但总体效率（在可用温度下的热能净回收率）需要提高。这可以通过控制总蓄热能力、调整封装管的尺寸和数量和/或调整传热流体的流速来实现。 需要进行进一步试验，以确定该应用的最佳性能参数，并确定这些试验中使用的技术级PCM的有效热力学性质。未来的工作将利用这项研究的结果，开发一个蓄热器的数值模型，以便确定和优化设计的关键参数。一个更大规模（6.25kWh）的蓄热室正在建设中，以支持额外的实验和数值模型验证。引用:ASHRAE论文CD:2014 ASHRAE冬季会议，纽约

This paper presents a study related to the development of a simple, compact thermal storage unit suitable for use in small to medium commercial applications that utilize chilled water cooling coils. This thermal store design is based on the use of a technical grade paraffin phase change material (PCM), macro-encapsulated into cylindrical tubes that are densely packed into a containment tank. An experimental scale model of this thermal store is constructed for testing purpose, and tests are conducted to determine the feasibility of this design and also to characterize its operation. The experimental thermal store proved capable of supplying usable energy for cooling purposes, but the overall efficiency (net recovery of thermal energy at a useable temperature) needs to be improved. This can be accomplished by manipulating overall thermal store capacity, adjusting the encapsulation tube size and quantity, and/or adjusting heat transfer fluid flow rates. Further experimentation is required to determine the optimum performance parameters for this application, and also to determine the effective thermodynamic properties of the technical grade PCM utilized in these experiments. Future work will use the findings from this study to develop a numeric model of the thermal store so that critical parameters of the design can be identified and optimized. A larger scale (6.25kWh) thermal store is under construction to support additionalexperiments and numeric model validation.