Abstract

ABSTRACT Building accounts over one-third of global energy consumption, mainly for cooling/heating the space, contributing to enormous emission of greenhouse gases. Extensive usage of air-conditioning system in tropical countries demands cool thermal energy storage system for energy management that essentially demands development of novel energy storage materials. In this study, micro-particle enhanced phase change materials (MePCMs) were prepared through two-step method with deionized water as base PCM and natural graphite flakes (NGF) as additive. Heat transfer characteristics of the MePCMs were experimentally analyzed during solidification in a spherical capsule. High specific surface area of the NGF creates more nucleation sites that lead to elimination of subcooling in the MePCM. As a result of enhanced thermal conductivity of MePCM, solidification duration was reduced to 40% with 5 wt.% NGF, compared to base PCM. Accelerated mode of charging was seen in MePCMs, storing 96% of energy during 70% of corresponding solidification duration. In addition to the above fascinating advantages, abundant availability and low cost of the NGF make the MePCM as potential energy storage material for space cooling applications.

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