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%.