On January 8, 2026, the research team headed by Fan Liwu from the College of Energy Engineering at Zhejiang University, in collaboration with their partners, unveiled their research results in the prestigious international journal Nature.

The team put forward a 'slip - enhanced contact melting' mechanism. This innovative approach involves modifying the inner wall of a phase - change thermal battery using a 'fully solid - state composite surface'. The aim is to strike a balance between a large energy storage capacity and rapid heat charging/discharging rates, which has long been a challenging conflict in the field.

This cutting - edge technology is composed of a pulse - heating film and a liquid - like coating. During the heat charging process, it enables the phase - change material to form an ultra - thin liquid film. This, in turn, reduces frictional resistance and facilitates efficient heat transfer.

Experimental findings were quite impressive. When using ordinary materials, the power density of the system reached 850 kW/m³, and the energy density stood at 31 kWh/m³. Remarkably, when the system was combined with heat - conductive enhancement materials, the power density soared to 1100 kW/m³ while still maintaining an energy density of 27 kWh/m³.

This revolutionary technology holds great promise for various fields. It can be widely applied in industrial waste heat recovery and solar thermal utilization. By doing so, it plays a crucial role in energy conservation, carbon reduction, and significantly lowering energy consumption costs.