Abstract
To address the drawback of low thermal conductivity of conventional organic phase change materials (PCMs), a paraffin-wax-based phase change composite (PCC) was assembled via a vacuum impregnation method, using a new type of carbon fiber network material as the supporting matrix. The carbon fiber sheet (CFS) material exhibited a network structure comprising high-thermal-conductivity carbon fibers, beneficial for enhancing the heat transfer properties of the PCC. The sheet-shaped carbon fiber material was stacked and compressed, and then impregnated with the liquid paraffin wax PCM to form the composite. The thermal conductivity, durability, shape stability, chemical stability, and heat storage characteristics of the PCC specimen were carefully analyzed. The maximum thermal conductivity of the PCC was 11.68 W·m−1·K−1 (4670% compared to that of pure paraffin) in the radial direction, and 0.93 W·m−1·K−1 in the axial direction of the sample, with 17.44 vol % of added CFS. The thermal conductivity retention rate after 200 thermal cycles was 78.6%. The PCC also displayed good stability in terms of chemical structure, shape, and heat storage ability. This study offers insights and a possible strategy for the development of anisotropic high-thermal-conductivity PCCs for potential applications in latent heat storage systems.
Highlights
Energy consumption management is becoming increasingly important as energy demand increases
The direct utilization of organic Phase change materials (PCMs) is limited by a critical disadvantage; the heat transfer capability of organic materials is invariably inadequate, and the thermal conductivity of organic PCMs is usually lower than 0.5 W·m−1·K−1, which is lower than the thermal conductivity of water (0.62 W·m−1·K−1) at room temperature
We report the fabrication of a phase change composite (PCC) using long carbon fiber networks to enhance the thermal conductivity, durability, and shape-stability of paraffin wax PCM
Summary
Energy consumption management is becoming increasingly important as energy demand increases. The direct utilization of organic PCMs is limited by a critical disadvantage; the heat transfer capability of organic materials is invariably inadequate, and the thermal conductivity of organic PCMs is usually lower than 0.5 W·m−1·K−1, which is lower than the thermal conductivity of water (0.62 W·m−1·K−1) at room temperature. Such a low thermal conductivity leads to inadequate heat storage and sluggish heat release rates in LHS systems. Prerequisite characteristics for the practical application of PCMs include a high heat exchange rate, long durability, and shape stability
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