Abstract
In the present work, the freezing and melting characteristics of water seeded with chemically functionalized graphene nanoplatelets in a vertical cylindrical capsule were experimentally studied. The volume percentage of functionalized graphene nanoplatelets varied from 0.1% to 0.5% with an interval of 0.1%. The stability of the synthesized samples was measured using zeta potential analyzer. The thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite samples was experimentally measured using the transient hot wire method. A ~24% (maximum) increase in the thermal conductivity was observed for the 0.5% volume percentage in the liquid state, while a ~53% enhancement was observed in the solid state. The freezing and melting behavior of water dispersed with graphene nanoplatelets was assessed using a cylindrical stainless steel capsule in a constant temperature bath. The bath temperatures considered for studying the freezing characteristics were −6 °C and −10 °C, while to study the melting characteristics the bath temperature was set as 31 °C and 36 °C. The freezing and melting time decreased for all the test conditions when the volume percentage of GnP increased. The freezing rate was enhanced by ~43% and ~32% for the bath temperatures of −6 °C and −10 °C, respectively, at 0.5 vol % of graphene loading. The melting rate was enhanced by ~42% and ~63% for the bath temperatures of 31 °C and 36 °C, respectively, at 0.5 vol % of graphene loading.
Highlights
The world is facing a lot of challenges related to storing and retrieving energy and fulfilling the pressing energy demands
The thermal conductivity of pure DI water was experimentally measured at temperatures ranging from −10 to 40 ◦ C
The dispersion of GnP significantly improved the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite
Summary
The world is facing a lot of challenges related to storing and retrieving energy and fulfilling the pressing energy demands. Heat is the main form of energy which can be stored, and this is achieved in the form of latent heat using phase change materials (PCM). The oldest form of thermal energy storage (TES) probably involves harvesting ice from lakes and rivers and storing it in well-insulated warehouses throughout the year for use in almost all tasks that mechanical refrigeration satisfies today, including food preservation, cooling of drinks, and air-conditioning. Today compressed-air storage and batteries are mostly used to meet many of the thermal energy storage requirements. Instead of storing electrical energy in a battery or as compressed air, thermal energy storage using water-based ice is one of the most ancient modes of energy storage and is considered to be the most
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