Category: Transient Plane Source
Author(s): Amy S. Fleischer, Ronald J. Warzoha
Keywords: Carbon nanotubes, CNTs, differential scanning calorimetry, Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), DSC, graphene, Melt Temperature, nanocomposites, Nanoparticles, pcms, phase change enthalpy, phase change materials, Phase Transition Temperature, Solidification Temperature, Thermal Conductivity, Thermal Energy Recovery, Transient Plane Source Technique, Transient Thermal Response
Abstract: Four different paraffin-based nanocomposite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared by dispersion of 20 v. % of graphene, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), aluminum, or TiO2 nanoparticles into a paraffin matrix. It was found that the two carbon-based nanoparticles reduced the time required for melting and solidification of the PCM by a greater amount than the two other nanoparticles. The graphene-paraffin PCM was found to reduce the melt and re-solidification time by the greatest amount (~30%), and the authors attributed this to the enhanced thermal conductivity in this nanocomposite PCM, which was nearly 2800% higher than that of the pure paraffin PCM. In addition to the reduced melt and re-solidification time, the graphene-paraffin PCM was also found to increase the amount of the thermal energy that can be recovered from the PCM by 11%.
Reference: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 79 (2014) 314-323
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2014.08.009