A study on preparation and properties of carbon materials/myristic acid composite phase change thermal energy storage materials

Microscale graphite (Gr) and nanoscale multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were chosen to modify the organic phase change material (PCM) of myristic acid (MA). The Gr/MA and MWCNTs/MA composite PCMs were prepared by adding the carbon materials at different mass fractions into MA. The experimental results indicated that both Gr and MWCNTs could enhance the thermal conductivity of MA. For the 3?wt% loading, the solid thermal conductivity of MA increased by 37.42% with Gr and 62.26% with MWCNTs. The FT-IR spectra showed that the reactions between carbon materials and MA were physical. The DSC results illustrated that the phase change latent heats of the composite PCMs decreased gradually with the additives increasing. Gr and MWCNTs strengthened the thermal stability of MA. The heat release rates of the composite PCMs accelerated. Three hundred thermal cycles of the chosen composite PCMs revealed that the prepared composite PCMs presented good thermal cycling stability.     

微胶囊相变蓄能技术研究现状与进展

微胶囊相变材料是一种新型的复合相变蓄能材料。文中介绍了微胶囊相变蓄能材料的性质,着重阐述了微胶囊相变蓄能材料的制备方法,并分析了微胶囊相变蓄能材料在工业领域的应用,总结了微胶囊相变蓄能材料的发展趋势。     

Experimental research in the phase change materials based on paraffin and expanded perlite

In this study, paraffin (PA)/expanded perlite (EP) form-stable phase change material (PCM) was first fabricated using the direct impregnation method without vacuum treatment. Absorptive capacity results showed that the PA/EP composite can obtain good absorptive capacity with the temperature 80 °C and the time 2 h. Compared with the water absorption of EP, the decrease in the water absorption of PA/EP form-stable proved that the absorption of PA into porous EP has been carried out successfully. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) results show that paraffin can be well impregnated into EP pores and has good compatibility with it. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results reveal that paraffin/EP composite PCM has melting temperature and latent heat of 53.6 °C and 91.3 J/g, respectively. The durability cycles results suggest that form-stable PA/EP PCM shows good durability.     

Experimental study on the heat transfer characteristics of a new type flat micro heat pipe heat exchanger with latent heat thermal energy storage

An experimental energy storage system has been designed using a new type flat micro heat pipe heat exchanger that incorporates a moderate-temperature phase change material paraffin with a melting point of 58°C. The basic structure, working principles, and design concept are discussed. The heat transfer process during the charging and discharging of the heat exchanger under various operating conditions has been experimentally investigated. Results show that the performance of the new type flat micro heat pipe was steady and efficient during charging and discharging. The average thermal storage power and absorption efficiency have been determined to be approximately 537 W and 92.5%, respectively.     

Experimental study on enhanced heat transfer of nanocomposite phase change materials

Nanocomposite phase change materials (NCPCMs) containing different mass fractions (nanomaterial concentration) and different copper nanoparticle (CN)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) mass ratios were prepared and experimentally studied. Latent heat and thermal conductivity of the NCPCMs were studied and calculated by using the T-history method. The results revealed that addition of CN or MWCNT to the phase change material (PCM) resulted in NCPCMs with enhanced thermal conductivity and charge rates, respectively. However, when both nanoparticle materials were added to the PCM simultaneously, the resulting NCPCMs improved their thermal performance below expectations as a result of agglomeration and sedimentation between the two additives. Thus, the NCPCMs containing only CN or MWCNT showed superior thermophysical properties than the pure PCM, while the NCPCM containing both CN and MWCNT did not improve the thermal characteristic of PCM significantly.     

相变蓄冷材料制备及热性能研究

制备了一种空调用相变蓄冷材料,该蓄冷材料由两种相变材料(辛酸和软脂酸)组成,通过加热搅拌的方法将其制备成均匀的共晶相变蓄冷材料,实验分析了所研制的蓄冷材料的相变点、相变潜热等性能。测试结果表明该相变蓄冷材料具有适宜的相变温度和较高的相变潜热,可用作空调蓄冷材料。     

Experimental thermal performance study of natural graphite as sensible heat storage material using different heat transfer fluids

In this paper thermal performance of graphite-based sensible heat storage system with embedded helical coil in rectangular shell was studied. Plain water at four flow rates (0.25 LPM–1.0 LPM) and four inlet temperatures (60°C–90°C) was passed through the graphite bed and charging time was measured. Expanded graphite/water suspension and Al₂O₃/water nanofluid were also used to study charging behavior of graphite. Results showed that charging time of packed bed was reduced with increase in flow rate and inlet temperature of heat transfer fluid. Charging time using expanded graphite/water solution and nanofluid was 14.2% and 21.2% lesser than water.

Abbreviations: h_i: internal heat transfer coefficient (W m^?2 K^?1); HTF: Heat transfer fluid; h_o: External heat transfer coefficient (W m^?2 K^?1); LPM: liter per minute; k: thermal conductivity (W m^?1 K^?1); TSU: Thermal storage unit     

Lattice Boltzmann simulation on thermal performance of composite phase change material based on Voronoi models

Phase change materials(PCMs) are important for sustaining energy development. For the thermal performance enhancement, the composite PCM with metal foam reconstructed by the Voronoi method is investigated in this work. The lattice Boltzmann method(LBM) is used to analyze the melting process on a pore scale. The melting interface evolution and temperature contour of the composite PCM are explored and compared with those of pure PCM. Moreover, structure parameters including the pore density, porosity and irregularity are investigated comprehensively, indicating that the additive of metal foam strengthens the melting performance of PCM obviously. Compared with pure PCM, the composite PCM has quick rates of the melting front evolution and heat transfer. The heat conduction plays a great role in the whole melting process since the convection is weakened for the composite PCM. To improve the melting efficiency, a larger pore density and smaller irregularity are recommended in general. More significantly, a suitable porosity is determined based on the requirement for the balance between the melting rate and heat storage capacity in practical engineering.     

Thermal energy storage behaviour of nanoparticle enhanced PCM during freezing and melting

The present research work aimed to investigate the melting and solidification characteristics of NPCM. The NPCM was prepared using paraffin as the PCM and high conductive MWCNT as the nanomaterial without using any dispersant. The NPCM was prepared by dispersing MWCNTs with volume fractions of 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.9% in PCM as the base PCM. SEM morphology showed the uniform dispersion of MWCNTs in the paraffin wax. The MWCNT nano-additives PCMs showed two peaks in the heating curve by DSC measurement. Lessening in melting and solidification time of 30% and 43% was attained in the case of NPCM with 0.3% and 0.9%, respectively. It is observed from the DSC analysis that the latent heat of pure paraffin during freezing and melting cycle was 139.2 J/g (at 56.61 °C) and 131.8 J/g (at 57.55 °C), respectively. Whereas, the latent heat of NPCM with 0.9% of nanofluid was 150.7 J/g (at 56.36 °C) and 148.3 J/g (58.35 °C). It is construed that a maximum change in latent heat of 7.6% and 11% was observed between pure PCM and NPCM during freezing and melting cycle. For the lesser nanoparticle concentration (0.3% and 0.6%), the percentage change in latent heat was lesser than 0.9%.     

正二十四烷烃石蜡/膨胀石墨（EG）复合相变材料分子动力学模拟

相变材料(PCMs)在相变时的恒温、高能量密度等特性,经常应用于设备的热管理,但是PCMs导热系数低的缺点影响了其使用范围.本文采用分子动力学方法,模拟了在正二十四烷烃石蜡PCMs中添加不同结构(层状、交叉状)的膨胀石墨(EG)之后构成的复合PCMs的物性.文章通过径向分布函数(RDF)、声子态密度(PDOS)、比热容和导热系数这四个指标,分析了夹角为0°的层状结构,夹角为45°、90°的交叉状EG添加物对于石蜡热物性的影响. EG(0°、45°、90°)添加使得石蜡的原子分布在不同程度上变得更加均匀、紧密,使得石蜡的比热容有所增加.同时,两种类型的添加物提高了石蜡的PDOS,提高了导热系数.其中,EG(90°)添加物对于石蜡导热系数的提升最为明显,石蜡/EG(0°、45°、90°)模型中EG的含量分别为33.63 wt%、30.86 wt%和23.20 wt%,相比于的石蜡的导热系数分别提升了417.1%、345.7%和522.9%. EG的添加能够提高石蜡的导热系数,不同结构的EG对石蜡导热系数的影响有着较大的区别.     

Experimental Investigations on Latent Heat Storage Unit using Paraffin Wax as Phase Change Material

Thermal performance of a latent heat storage unit is evaluated experimentally. The latent heat thermal energy storage system analyzed in this work is a shell-and-tube type of heat exchanger using paraffin wax (melting point between 58°C and 60°C) as the phase change material. The temperature distribution in the phase change material is measured with time. The influence of mass flow rate and inlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid on heat fraction is examined for both the melting and solidification processes. The mass flow rate of heat transfer fluid (water) is varied in the range of 0.0167 kg/s to 0.0833 kg/s (1 kg/min to 5 kg/min), and the fluid inlet temperature is varied between 75°C and 85°C. The experimental results indicate that the total melting time of the phase change material increases as the mass flow rate and inlet temperature of heat transfer fluid decrease. The fluid inlet temperature influences the heat fraction considerably as compared to the mass flow rate of heat transfer fluid during the melting process of the phase change material.     

The effect of phase change materials on the frontal polymerization of a triacrylate

The production of smoke and fumes is a major obstacle to the practical use of thermal frontal polymerization. The front temperature and the amount of smoking can be reduced by adding inert fillers, such as clay and silica, to the reactive mixture. Here we investigate the possibility of incorporating inert materials that melt (so-called phase change materials) to the mixture. By performing both experiments and mathematical modeling, we demonstrate that, in addition to the standard parameters of frontal polymerization, the front temperature and velocity depend on the melting point and heat of fusion of the phase change material. We use the method of matched asymptotic expansions to develop an explicit expression for the velocity of the reaction front. The expression demonstrates that the behavior of the front is determined by the difference between the reaction temperature and the melting temperature, with the front being slower and cooler if melting occurs farther ahead of the reaction front. The theoretical trends are hard to confirm directly because different characteristics of the phase change material cannot be varied separately.     

纳米组装相变储热材料的热设计前沿

本文简单回顾了固液相变储热材料发展历程,重点针对纳米多孔定形相变材料,从材料层面的研发设计,到热物理层面的微观限域空间负载、结晶、导热机理,乃至围绕异相/异质匹配提出的显著提升相变蓄传热性能的强化手段进行了总结.同时,指出了目前受制于单一尺度孔径无法兼顾储释热的密度和速率的现状,并探讨在此基础上借助新型多级尺度孔径的骨架材料以突破瓶颈的可能.最后,系统梳理了与之伴随的一系列亟待解决的科学问题、机遇和挑战.     

相变蓄热体的热工特性数值模拟

为了深入研究蓄热式换热器的蓄放能效果,提出了采用具有相变材料的蓄热体强化蓄放热,通过gambit软件建立了三维蓄热体相变传热过程的物理模型和数学模型,利用fluent软件模拟了具有相变材料的蓄热体与具有变截面管强化的蓄热体传热,得到了两者蓄放热过程温度场分布。根据模拟结果分析了相变材料及缩放结构对蓄热体蓄放热效果的影响,为优化设计蓄热式换热器提供了理论参考。     

Study on the properties of a novel shape-stable epoxy resin sealed expanded graphite/paraffin composite PCM and its application in buildings

In this study, a novel phase change material (PCM) of epoxy resin sealed expanded graphite/paraffin composite was developed as an independent attachment for building applications. A relatively high thermal energy storage density and a high thermal conductivity (2.141?W/(m·K)) were obtained in the composite PCM. The mass fraction of paraffin in the composite PCM could reach 94% without leakage of liquid paraffin when being heated at 50°C for more than 3 h, and the thermal cycle stability was good. Moreover, the thermal storage and release properties of this composite PCM with different thicknesses were studied by numerical simulation. The results showed that the thermal storage and release time are proportional to the thickness of the composite PCM, and there was almost no temperature gradient during the thermal storage and release process, which indicated that the thermal conductivity of this kind of composite PCM was high enough for building applications.     

Preparation,characterization, and performance study of beeswax/expanded graphite composite as thermal storage material

In this study, beeswax as a new energy storage material and its composite with expanded graphite were prepared and characterized for their surface and thermal properties. Surface characterization showed no chemical interaction between beeswax and expanded graphite. The thermal conductivity of the composite was improved with 117% enhancement. The thermal performance of beeswax and its composite as a heat storage material was studied in a rectangular shell-and-tube thermal storage unit. The melting point of the composite remained almost same as that of beeswax; however, the melting time was reduced considerably, from 540 to 360 min with inlet water at 80°C and a 2-lpm flow rate.     

操作参数对熔融盐高温斜温层蓄热性能的影响

首先提出了一种新型熔融盐高温斜温层耦合蓄热单罐系统,然后基于多孔介质局部热平衡理论,建立了熔融盐高温斜温层蓄热的局部热平衡数值模拟模型,研究了熔融盐进口流速、进口温度及工作温差等操作参数对斜温层蓄热单罐热性能的影响,并在熔融盐传热-蓄热实验平台上进行了试验研究。发现:当进口速度为0 001 m/s级及降低工作温差等有利于降低斜温层厚度,模拟得到的蓄热单罐轴向温度分布变化与实验结果趋于一致。因此,合理选取这些参数对蓄热单罐的正常运行是非常必要的,结果可以用于指导蓄热单罐的设计。     

空调蓄冷材料研究现状及其新进展

分析了空调蓄冷材料研究现状及存在的一些问题 ,提出研制一种新型空调复合蓄冷材料 ,通过实验 ,分析该蓄冷材料的融点、融解热等热学性能。并通过实验研究寻找到了一种新型空调蓄冷材料 ,测试结果表明该蓄冷材料具有较高的相变潜热、适宜的相变温度和较好的热稳定性 ,因此可被应用于蓄冷空调系统中。     

Medium-temperature phase-change materials thermal characterization by the T-History method and differential scanning calorimetry

This paper presents a thermal characterization of salt mixtures applying the T-History method (THM) and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. By using water as a standard substance, the original THM was developed to analyze materials with melting points under 100°C. This is the first research that proposes to replace water by glycerin to characterize medium-melting-temperature phase-change materials (PCMs) (140–220°C). Moreover, the DSC technique was used to validate and compare the results obtained with the THM for each mixture. For instance, the system compound of 40% KNO₃–60% NaNO₃ was studied, and the enthalpy of fusion determined by THM and DSC differs by 2.1% between each method. The results given by the two methods for all mixtures showed that both techniques are complementary and present satisfactory agreement with the specialized literature.     

氨的添加引发水蒸气凝结换热强化的实验研究

研究了添加极少量氨时,氨-水混合蒸气在水平圆管上的凝结传热特性。结果表明:由于氨的添加引发的Marangoni效应,水蒸气的凝结换热在实验工况范围内基本上都得到了强化。随着表面过冷度的增加,凝结换热系数表现出有峰值点的非线性变化规律。当氨蒸气的浓度为0.38%时,混合蒸气的最大凝结换热系数可达纯水蒸气的1.9倍,从液膜热阻和扩散热阻的角度分析了强化换热的机理。