Renewable energy resources like solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, photovoltaic etc. are gaining much importance due to the day by day depletion of conventional resources. Owing to the lower efficiencies of renewable energy resources, much attention has been paid to improving them. The concept of utilizing phase change materials (PCMs) has attracted wide attention in recent years. This is due to their ability to extract thermal energy when used in collaboration with photovoltaic (PV), thus improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency. In this paper, the objective is to design and fabricate a novel thermal energy storage system using phase change material. An investigation on the characteristics of Potash Alum as a phase change material due to its low cost, easy availability and its usage as an energy storage for the indoor purposes are taken into account. The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy and has the advantage of high-energy storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process. In the current study, potash alum was identified as a phase change material combined with renewable energy sources, that can be efficiently and effectively used in storing thermal energy at compartively lower temperatures that can later be used in daily life heating requirements.A parabolic dish which acts of a heat collector is used to track and reflects solar radiation at a single point on a receiver tank. Heat transfer from the solar collector to the storage tank is done by using a circulating heat transfer fluid with the help of a pump. The experimental results show that this system is capable of successfully storing and utilizing thermal energy on indoor scale such as cooking, heating and those applications where temperature is below 92 °C.

Career selection is one of the most vital and challenging decisions in the life of Career selection is one of the most vital and challenging decisions in the life of an individual. In many cases, the individual is not solely responsible for their career choice. In order to address this problem and provide remedial measures, a sample of engineering students was taken from different institutions in Pakistan. Based on the student’s current and previous academic performance and interest in their projects, a weighted index was constructed with empirical evidence. This index reflects the overall comprehensiveness of the career decision. The study revealed that 57.4% of the students are enrolled because of self-interest, while the remaining have other reasons. Furthermore, it was found that a significant number of students experience poor outcomes because of bad decisions in relation to how they choose their career. Data analysis suggests that the majority of the students who choose their career due to the influence of others show poor performance on the index rating. The reason for the career choice of the students indicates a highly significant ((p-value = 0.003) association. A gamma test is used to determine the direction of the association. The results also indicate a negative trend when there is a shift of career choice from one due to self-interest to one based on the outlook of the career. This research takes into account all of the important factors in career choice, and is particularly useful for guidance counselors of high schools and colleges as it provides a framework for career choice decisions for students. Finally, the researchers propose a decision making criteria and a numerical model for guiding counselors and students. https://doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v9.i2.488