Numerical evaluation of thermal energy storage rate in planar and cylindrical phase change material composites

Hoe, Alison; Perez-Nunez, Delia; Felts, Jonathan R.; Shamberger, Patrick J.

doi:10.1016/j.est.2022.105430

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Within the space of optimizing for a single performance metric and allowing for semi‐infinite expansion, it has been observed that there is often a large selection of profiles that will yield similar performance levels. [ 23 ] This suggests that high levels of performance can be accomplished in terms of a given optimization objective while also selecting for profiles that meet a secondary need, such as decreased mass or volume. We approach this hybrid design problem by selecting one of the three optimization metrics defined above and selecting a given design variable as the secondary metric that can be simultaneously optimized.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of Radially Variant Phase‐Change Material Composites

et al. 2022

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Phase‐change materials (PCMs) and high‐conductivity elements can be combined to form highly compact and efficient composite heat sinks. However, the design challenge presented by thermal composites composed of PCMs and high‐conductivity elements remains unresolved. Herein, design guidelines are presented for radially varying cylindrical PCM composites. Numerical and analytical techniques are utilized to explore the utility and limits of optimal composite designs selecting for 1) temperature minimization, 2) specific effective heat capacity maximization, and 3) volumetric effective heat capacity maximization. Significant increases in each metric are observed when implementing radially variant designs in cylindrical geometries, especially for metrics of heat capacity. Furthermore, a hybrid approach to variant composite design is presented, allowing for the balancing of different design objectives. The utilization of a variable design under high heat flux (10 ± 1.4 W cm−2) and short melting periods (up to 50 s) is experimentally demonstrated, directly resulted in a 65% decrease in total system mass and a 200% increase in specific heat capacity while maintaining strong temperature dampening performance. In a second case study, a 23% decrease in mass is demonstrated while maintaining strong specific heat performance, emphasizing the broad utility of this approach.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%