A review on thermal energy storage using phase change materials for refrigerated trucks: Active and passive approaches

The environmental climate change during transporting frozen or chilled food required temperature and humidity control inside the refrigerated container from its production or packaging site to the market in order to minimize waste and ensure customer satisfaction. Innovative solutions have been suggested by researchers to maintain and control the food fluctuation temperature, such as the implementation of Latent Thermal Energy Storage (LTES) systems using Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in refrigerated truck. The present review focuses on both active and passive approaches to thermal energy storage in refrigeration unit as well as internal and external walls of refrigerated truck. Additionally, the review examines the potential benefits of different melting temperatures of PCMs for thermal energy storage in refrigerated trucks, such as improved energy efficiency, reduced fuel consumption, and improved temperature control. The findings show that selecting PCMs with a suitable melting temperature for the refrigerated unit and incorporating passive cooling inside the container is straightforward, but choosing the right PCMs for the external walls of the container presents a significant challenge due to constantly changing environmental conditions. The study recommends exploring the use of several rows or tile pattern of PCMs layers, each with a different melting temperature, on the external walls of refrigerated containers instead of a single PCM throughout the wall. This approach may address the challenges posed by changes in the external climate.