Wax can be used as a phase change material in solar energy storage but has low thermal conductivity and cannot sustain shape at higher temperature (above 55°C). Introducing 50% halloysite clay nanotubes into wax yields a stable and homogenous phase change composite with thermal conductivity of 0.36 Wm -1 K -1 and no leaking until 70°C. Graphite and carbon nanotubes can further increase the conductivity and shape stabilized temperature as high as 1.4 Wm À1 K À1 and 91°C. Vectorial thermal energy transfer for double layers of different composition was demonstrated: heat flux difference in the opposite directions differed by 25%. The new wax-nanoclay composite is a promising heat storage material due to good heat capacity, high thermal conductivity and ability to preserve its shape during wax melting.

No abstract

a b s t r a c tThermodynamically limited processes make waste heat abundant in availability. An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) steam powered micro system designed to scavenge waste heat from various sources (transportation, industries or solar) is presented. The key boiler component is fabricated and characterized in this work. The system design has been inspired by the various efforts implemented in development of micro heat recovery devices and engines. The complete system consists of three individual micro components (1) boiler, (2) free piston expander and (3) superheater. Specifically, design, fabrication techniques, test setup and results of the miniaturized boiler are presented in this paper. A key design feature of the boiler is the inclusion of capillary channels for fluid flow from the surrounding reservoirs to the heated area. The pressurized steam is created by the boiler as a result of phase transformation of the working fluid. This pressurized steam can be utilized to drive another MEMS device (PZT membranes, turbines, thermoelectric, etc.) to generate power. In this upgraded boiler design, radial capillary channels and a thin film glass steamdome were considered to improve the operating efficiency. These inclusions enhanced capillary flow, energy absorption via phase change, mass flow rate and operating pressure. The power inputs of 1.8 W and 2.7 W were selected to simulate and characterize the boiler performance based on real-world waste heat source temperatures. For these power inputs, the maximum power absorption efficiency demonstrated by the boiler via phase change of the working fluid was approximately 88%. The peak operating pressure demonstrated by the boiler was 8.5 kPa. These thermally efficient characteristics of the boiler make it a potential future device for waste heat scavenging.

Abstract:Increasing world-wide energy use and growing population growth presents a critical need for enhanced energy efficiency and sustainability. One method to address this issue is via waste heat scavenging. In this approach, thermal energy that is normally expelled to the environment is transferred to a secondary device to produce useful power output. This paper investigates a novel MEMS-based boiler designed to operate as part of a small-scale energy scavenging system. For the first time, fabrication and operation of the boiler is presented. Boiler operation is based on capillary action that drives working fluid from surrounding reservoirs across a heated surface. Pressure is generated as working fluid transitions from liquid to vapor in an integrated steamdome. In a full system application, the steam can be made available to other MEMS-based devices to drive final power output. Capillary channels are formed from silicon substrates with 100 µm widths. Varying depths are studied that range from 57 to 170 µm. Operation of the boiler shows increasing flow-rates with increasing capillary channel depths. Maximum fluid mass transfer rates are 12.26 mg/s from 170 µm channels, an increase of 28% over 57 µm channel devices. Maximum pressures achieved during operation are 229 Pa.

No abstract