[Paper] Heat transfer performance of a device integrating thermosyphon with form-stable phase change materials

Another fruitful collaboration with researchers from Southwest Jiaotong University on the phase change materials. The experimental and modeling study is led by Yanping Yuan and his colleagues in Chengdu. The aim of the study is to improve the thermal conductivity and performance of the latent heat thermal energy storage materials and integrate them into building envelopes for comfort improvement and energy saving in high-performance buildings.

Next year, we are planning to visit Southwest Jiaotong University in association with the #BS2023 in Shanghai. We are planning to intensify our collaboration with 🇨🇳 Chinese researchers as part of the Thousand Talents Program.

Abstract: Phase change materials (PCM) are applied worldwide as a thermal energy storage technology to reduce energy demands in buildings and solve environmental contamination issues. Form-stable phase change materials (FSPCM), as one branch of PCMs, can be improved by embedding them with thermosyphon, resulting in better thermal performance. In this paper, a novel thermoplastic elastomer-based FSPCM was developed and tested. A device integrating FSPCM with thermosyphon was created, and the heat transfer mechanism of the unit was studied. The numerical model was established, and experiments were conducted accordingly. The average relative error between the experimental data and the model predictions was <3 %. Furthermore, a parameter study was conducted to investigate the effects of several essential factors. As a result, the evaporator length and PCM thermal conductivity were found to significantly influence the unit's heat transfer rate and overall thermal performance. However, the impact of the latent heat of the FSPCM on the heat transfer rate was negligible, for which it takes 1170 s, 1230 s, and 1394 s to finish changing phase with 136 kJ/kg, 160 kJ/kg, and 200 kJ/kg, respectively. This paper provides insights into the performance of thermosyphon-integrated form-stable phase change materials and discusses their relevance for thermal energy storage applications.

Keywords: Heat transfer, Thermal storage, PCM. Phase transition, Passive thermal transport, Energy storage

Citation: Zhong, W., Min, W., Cao, X., Zhang, N., Leng, Z., Yuan, Y., & Attia, S. (2022). Heat transfer performance of a device integrating thermosyphon with form-stable phase change materials. Journal of Energy Storage, 54, 105315.

📣 Read and share the 📄 article. The paper is available in Open Access format: https://lnkd.in/eZFMv6ea

The article was published by Wei Zhong, Xiaoling CAO, Nan Zhang, Ziyu Leng, Yanping Yuan, & Shady Attia.

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