HVAC systems have become very popular, but require a lot of thermal storage. One way to provide this storage is through phase change materials (PCM). This report investigates using expanded graphite to improve the thermal conductivity of a capric, lauric and oleic acid mixture PCM. It was found that with the increase in mass fraction of expanded graphite the thermal conductivity of the PCM also increases....
Lignin and phenol are inexpensive naturally derived resources that can be used to produce cost-effective organic gels. This paper aimed to examine the thermal properties of insulative organic aerogels and cryogels made from lignin and phenol. A thermal analyzer (TPS) measured the thermal conductivity of the gels using the transient plane source (TPS) method. Results showed that, as expected, thermal conductivity increased with bulk density. Cryogels were found to be ...
Phase change materials (PCMs) are an attractive solution for reducing energy usage because of their efficient latent heat storage abilities. This paper examined chemical and physical properties of micro-PCMs before and after their integration with concrete samples. A Thermal Constants Analyser (TPS) measured the thermal conductivity of the PCM-concrete using the transient plane source (TPS) method. Results showed that overall, the thermal conductivity of the concrete was unchanged after the ...
Understanding the thermal properties of soils is important for applications in agronomy and engineering. The aim of this study was to examine the thermal properties of volcanically-derived Chilean soils using the Transient Plane Source (TPS) method. Results showed that thermal conductivity decreased with water content and with increasing amounts of organic carbon. Alternatively, soils with increased concentrations of crystalline compounds exhibited higher thermal conductivities. Results of this paper conclude that ...
