No abstract

To improve the thermal performance of phase change materials (PCMs), graphite nanofibers were embedded into a paraffin PCM. The thermal effects of graphite fiber loading levels (0–5wt%) and graphite fiber type (herringbone, ribbon, or platelet) during the melting process were examined for a 131cm3 volume system with power loads between 3W and 7W(1160–2710W∕m2). It was found that the maximum system temperature decreased as graphite fiber loading levels increased and that the results were fiber-structure dependent.

Phase change materials (PCMs) exhibit excellent thermal storage capacity due to their high latent heat of transformation and have been successfully utilized in small volumes for transient thermal management of electronics. However, their low thermal diffusivity makes it difficult to utilize large volumes of PCMs for transient thermal management of high power density systems. To improve the thermal performance of a paraffin PCM, high thermal conductivity graphite nanofibers are embedded into the paraffin PCM. The thermal effects of graphite fiber loading levels, measured in weight percent, are examined for a 131 cm3 volume cubic system with power loads of 3 and 7 W. It is found that the thermal response of the system improves with increased fiber loading levels.