h i g h l i g h t sThermal storage for solar thermal power using phase change materials is reviewed. Various phase change materials and manufacturing techniques are surveyed. Mathematical modeling and simulations to latent heat energy storage is reviewed. Integration of a PCM-based TES unit into a power generation system is discussed. Cost analysis of thermocline latent heat thermal storage systems is reviewed. Keywords: Concentrated solar power (CSP) Thermal energy storage (TES) Phase change material (PCM) Latent heat a b s t r a c tThe objective of this paper is to review the recent technologies of thermal energy storage (TES) using phase change materials (PCM) for various applications, particularly concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) generation systems. Five issues of the technology will be discussed based on a survey to the state-of-the-art development and understandings. The first part is about various phase change materials (PCM) in thermal storage applications and recent development of PCM encapsulation technologies. The second is the current status of research and application of latent heat storage systems in CSP plants. The third is the mathematical modeling and numerical simulations to the phenomenon of latent heat thermal storage. The fourth is about the issues of integration of a PCM-based TES unit into a power generation system and the operation. The last part is a discussion about the cost issues and comparison between sensible and latent heat TES systems. The surveyed information will be very helpful to researchers and engineers in energy storage industry and particularly solar thermal power industry.

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A one-dimensional steady-state model describing the damage caused by materials removal by vaporization and liquid expulsion due to laser-material interaction is developed and presented. When vaporization occurs, there exists a discontinuity across the Knudsen layer of a few molecular mean free paths. This discontinuity is modeled by a Mott–Smith-type solution. The vaporization process creates a recoil pressure that pushes the vapor away from the target and expels the liquid. The materials are, therefore, removed in both vapor and liquid phases. The materials-removal rates are incorporated in the moving boundary immobilization transformation. The vapor phase is assumed to be optically thin so that its absorption of the high-energy beam is negligible. Closed-form analytical solutions are obtained and presented. The effect of heat-source power on removal rates, vaporization rate, liquid-expulsion rate, surface temperature, and Mach number are presented and discussed. Results are obtained for three different materials: aluminum, superalloy, and titanium.