Nano-Phase Change Materials for Electronics Cooling Applications

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Colla ◽  
Davide Ercole ◽  
Laura Fedele ◽  
Simone Mancin ◽  
Oronzio Manca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Specific Heat ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Melting Time ◽  
Numerical Comparison ◽  
Al2o3 Nanoparticles ◽  
Paraffin Waxes

The present work aims at investigating a new challenging use of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles to enhance the thermal properties (thermal conductivity, specific heat, and latent heat) of pure paraffin waxes to obtain a new class of phase change materials (PCMs), the so-called nano-PCMs. The nano-PCMs were obtained by seeding 0.5 and 1.0 wt  % of Al2O3 nanoparticles in two paraffin waxes having melting temperatures of 45 and 55 °C, respectively. The thermophysical properties such as specific heat, latent heat, and thermal conductivity were then measured to understand the effects of the nanoparticles on the thermal properties of both the solid and liquid PCMs. Furthermore, a numerical comparison between the use of the pure paraffin waxes and the nano-PCMs obtained in a typical electronics passive cooling device was developed and implemented. A numerical model is accomplished to simulate the heat transfer inside the cavity either with PCM or nano-PCM. Numerical simulations were carried out using the ansys-fluent 15.0 code. Results in terms of solid and liquid phase fractions and temperatures and melting time were reported and discussed. They showed that the nano-PCMs determine a delay in the melting process with respect to the pure PCMs.

Nano-PCMs for Electronics Cooling Applications

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Colla ◽  
Laura Fedele ◽  
Simone Mancin ◽  
Sergio Bobbo ◽  
Davide Ercole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Specific Heat ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Electronics Cooling ◽  
Melting Time ◽  
Numerical Comparison ◽  
Al2o3 Nanoparticles ◽  
Paraffin Waxes

The present work aims at investigating a new challenging use of Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles to enhance the thermal properties (thermal conductivity, specific heat, and latent heat) of pure paraffin waxes to obtain a new class of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), the so-called nano-PCMs. The nano-PCMs were obtained by seeding 0.5 and 1.0 wt% of Al2O3 nanoparticles in two paraffin waxes having melting temperatures of 45 and 55 °C, respectively. The thermophysical properties such as specific heat, latent heat, and thermal conductivity were then measured to understand the effects of the nanoparticles on the thermal properties of both the solid and liquid PCMs. Furthermore, a numerical comparison between the use of the pure paraffin waxes and the nano-PCMs obtained in a typical electronics passive cooling device was developed and implemented. A numerical model is accomplished to simulate the heat transfer inside the cavity either with PCM or nano-PCM. Numerical simulations were carried out using the ANSYS-Fluent 15.0 code. Results in terms of solid and liquid phase temperatures and melting time were reported and discussed.

scholarly journals A Review of Thermal Property Enhancements of Low-Temperature Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Materials

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2578
Author(s):  
Joseph D. Williams ◽  
G. P. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Food Storage ◽  
The Stability

Phase change materials (PCMs) are of increasing interest due to their ability to absorb and store large amounts of thermal energy, with minimal temperature variations. In the phase-change process, these large amounts of thermal energy can be stored with a minimal change in temperature during both the solid/liquid and liquid/vapor phase transitions. As a result, these PCMs are experiencing increased use in applications such as solar energy heating or storage, building insulation, electronic cooling, food storage, and waste heat recovery. Low temperature, nano-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCM) are of particular interest, due to the recent increase in applications related to the shipment of cellular based materials and vaccines, both of which require precise temperature control for sustained periods of time. Information such as PCM and nanoparticle type, the effective goals, and manipulation of PCM thermal properties are assembled from the literature, evaluated, and discussed in detail, to provide an overview of NEPCMs and provide guidance for additional study. Current studies of NEPCMs are limited in scope, with the primary focus of a majority of recent investigations directed at increasing the thermal conductivity and reducing the charging and discharging times. Only a limited number of investigations have examined the issues related to increasing the latent heat to improve the thermal capacity or enhancing the stability to prevent sedimentation of the nanoparticles. In addition, this review examines several other important thermophysical parameters, including the thermal conductivity, phase transition temperature, rheological affects, and the chemical stability of NEPCMs. This is accomplished largely through comparing of the thermophysical properties of the base PCMs and their nano-enhanced counter parts and then evaluating the relative effectiveness of the various types of NEPCMs. Although there are exceptions, for a majority of conventional heat transfer fluids the thermal conductivity of the base PCM generally increases, and the latent heat decreases as the mass fraction of the nanoparticles increases, whereas trends in phase change temperature are often dependent upon the properties of the individual components. A number of recommendations for further study are made, including a better understanding of the stability of NEPCMs such that sedimentation is limited and thus capable of withstanding long-term thermal cycles without significant degradation of thermal properties, along with the identification of those factors that have the greatest overall impact and which PCM combinations might result in the most significant increases in latent heat.

scholarly journals Investigation of the Effect of Diamond Powder on the Thermal Properties of Octadecane Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 39-45
Author(s):  
Wojciech Godlewski ◽  
Mateusz Sierakowski ◽  
Roman Domański ◽  
Jakub Kapuściński ◽  
Tomasz Wiśniewski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Silicon Dioxide ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Specific Heat ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Diamond Powder ◽  
Aviation Industry ◽  
Amorphous Silicon Dioxide

Abstract The purpose of this work was to examine the effect of diamond powder on the thermal properties of phase change materials on the example of octadecane. The experiment involved mixing of diamond powder with a specific granulation with the aforementioned representative of the alkanes group. Two different grain sizes were used: 50 and 250 micrometres. The change of specific heat, latent heat of phase change and degree of supercoiling in newly formed mixtures was compared to the pure forms of the phase-change materials used. Initial mixing with a glass-stirring rod showed strong stratification for each granulation due to the low viscosity of the mixture and too large differences between component densities. It was decided to add amorphous silicon dioxide to the mixtures, which increases density of the mixture. The optimal percentage of amorphous silicon dioxide was estimated experimentally. Measurements of thermal parameters were carried out using DSC technology. The results of the tests of specific heat and latent phase transition heat showed that with the increasing content of diamond, the specific heat of the mixture decreases almost twice, and the latent heat can decrease by up to three times. The effect of diamond powder on reducing the degree of supercoiling of the mixture was also observed. An important observation was that the mixture with higher granulation of diamond powder had greater tendency for sedimentation. This method could be used to increase thermal conductivity and diffusivity of phase change materials and make them viable for use in systems that require cooling at high rate or temperature stabilization, such as control systems in electronic vehicles or aviation industry and at the same time decrease the degree of supercoiling which could increase the efficiency of system.

Latent Heat Storage: Container Geometry, Enhancement Techniques, and Applications—A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Arunachalam
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Heat Storage ◽  
Low Thermal Conductivity

Energy storage helps in waste management, environmental protection, saving of fossil fuels, cost effectiveness, and sustainable growth. Phase change material (PCM) is a substance which undergoes simultaneous melting and solidification at certain temperature and pressure and can thereby absorb and release thermal energy. Phase change materials are also called thermal batteries which have the ability to store large amount of heat at fixed temperature. Effective integration of the latent heat thermal energy storage system with solar thermal collectors depends on heat storage materials and heat exchangers. The practical limitation of the latent heat thermal energy system for successful implementation in various applications is mainly from its low thermal conductivity. Low thermal conductivity leads to low heat transfer coefficient, and thereby, the phase change process is prolonged which signifies the requirement of heat transfer enhancement techniques. Typically, for salt hydrates and organic PCMs, the thermal conductivity range varies between 0.4–0.7 W/m K and 0.15–0.3 W/m K which increases the thermal resistance within phase change materials during operation, seriously affecting efficiency and thermal response. This paper reviews the different geometry of commercial heat exchangers that can be used to address the problem of low thermal conductivity, like use of fins, additives with high thermal conductivity materials like metal strips, microencapsulated PCM, composite PCM, porous metals, porous metal foam matrix, carbon nanofibers and nanotubes, etc. Finally, different solar thermal applications and potential PCMs for low-temperature thermal energy storage were also discussed.

Composite phase change materials improve the photo-thermal effects of cotton fabrics

2020 ◽  
pp. 004051752097561
Author(s):  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Shang Hao ◽  
Jiali Weng ◽  
Yibo Zhang ◽  
Jiming Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Thermal Effects ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Cotton Fabrics ◽  
Composite Phase Change Materials

We report on the impregnation-based preparation of composite phase change materials (CPCMs) with thermal storage properties, using paraffin wax and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). We coated the CPCMs on the fabric by scraper coating, then evaluated their shape stability, latent heat, thermal conductivity, thermal storage stability and photo-thermal effects. Results show that CPCMs with 10% acid-oxidized MWCNTs introduce only a small phase leakage when heated at 50℃ for 900 s; their latent heat energy reduces by 16.5%, while their thermal conductivity increases by 131.9% compared to pure paraffin. When exposed to sunlight at an ambient temperature of 12.5℃, the cotton fabrics coated with CPCMs record a 12.8℃ higher surface temperature than the pristine fabric, while their heat dissipation is delayed by 120–180 s. The fabric surface temperature increases to twice the ambient temperature during daytime. Overall, these findings indicate that the coated fabric has excellent thermal stability, affirming its potential as photo-thermal functional material.

Experimental Characterization of the Thermal Diffusivity of Paraffin Phase Change Material Embedded With Herringbone Style Graphite Nanofibers

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald J. Warzoha ◽  
Anthony Rao ◽  
Rebecca Weigand ◽  
Amy S. Fleischer
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Diffusivity ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Specific Heat ◽  
Latent Heat ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Melt Temperature ◽  
Graphite Nanofibers

Phase change materials (PCMs) are promising candidates for thermal energy storage due to their intrinsically high values of latent heat. However, PCMs are unable to effectively utilize all of their energy storage capacities due to their poor thermophysical properties. In this study, the effect of graphite nanofibers (diameter = 2 to 1000 nm, length = 100μm) on the bulk thermal properties of paraffin PCM (Tmelt = 56 °C) is investigated. Material properties including effective thermal conductivity, specific heat, latent heat, melt temperature and thermal diffusivity are measured using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and comparative reference bar apparatus. Results suggest that the addition of nanostructures not only increases thermal conductivity by up to 180%, but also reduces the specific heat capacity and density of nano-enhanced paraffin, leading to improved thermal diffusivity and thus greater utilization of its latent heat for transient thermal energy storage.

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