Thermal energy storage(TES) is an attention-gaining technology which is useful to improve the energy efficiency as well as to balance the energy supply and demand. Until recently, the latent heat TES(LHTES) technology has been promoted quite fast mainly due to the large heat storage/release capacity that takes place at nearly constant temperature. The phase change slurry(PCS) prepared by dispersing phase change materials(PCMs) into carrying fluid can serve not only as the energy storage media, but also as the heat transfer fluid(HTF). Compared with the conventional PCM which needs additional HTF, the PCS provides superior performance and has the great potential to upgrade the current TES systems. This paper reviews the latest investigations of the micro-encapsulated PCM(MPCM) and shape-stabilized PCM(SSPCM) slurries. A brief introduction of the preparation methods of the two types of the PCSs is summarized. And a comprehensive review of the flow and heat transfer characteristics of the PCSs, particularly in various tube-based geometries and heat exchangers, is conducted for a better understanding of the mechanism and further utilization of the next-generation TES systems.
