Thermal Devices Research Articles

Multi-objective optimization of a novel phase-change thermal storage unit based on theoretical modeling and genetic algorithm

Phase-change thermal storage technologies are becoming increasingly indispensable in the field of renewable energy, and researchers have been striving to achieve high thermal storage performance in storage devices. To enhance the application potential of phase-change thermal storage units based on micro heat pipe arrays, theoretical analysis is applied to optimize the operating parameters and the fin structure, addressing the research gap caused by insufficient theoretical analysis. Therefore, an accurate thermal resistance network model is developed, and machine learning algorithms are employed for the multi-objective optimization of the fin structure. The optimal heights, widths, and thicknesses in two directions of the fins are 42.2, 3.7, 0.3, and 0.8 mm, respectively, resulting in a 15.8 % increase in charging power compared to the initial structure without increasing metal consumption. Additionally, it is recommended that the design flow rate be increased by 26 kg/h for each additional thermal storage unit connected in series. Finally, a phase-change thermal storage device is designed for a solar water heating system, and its applicability is simulated and analyzed. This study provides design guidance for this novel thermal storage device and promotes its application in the field of renewable energy.

Optimization of fin arrangement in solar thermal storage devices and convolutional neural network modeling

Solar energy, a renewable and eco-friendly source, faces challenges in aligning energy production with storage durations. Phase change materials (PCMs) effectively tackle this issue, yet their poor thermal conductivity limits solar thermal storage device performance. Conventional solutions involve adding fins, but limited volume compromises overall heat storage capacity. Our study enhances device performance by rearranging fins while maintaining the same area. The H/R = 0.5 fin arrangement with equal spacing significantly improves heat storage, reducing total melting time by 54.31% with a higher entropy value. Further, arranging five fins, predominantly in the lower part, shortens PCM melting time without compromising upper material melting, enhancing device temperature uniformity. Utilizing computed data, we trained a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model, maintaining a maximum error within 5%, with an actual maximum error of only 1.56%. The efficacy of CNN in addressing prediction challenges is noteworthy, showcasing improved solar thermal storage device performance.

Thermal responses of a concrete slab under hydrogen fuel cell vehicle fires in a semi-open car park

This work aims to investigate the thermal behaviors of the concrete ceiling slab of a semi-open car park exposed to localized fire in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. For this purpose, a numerical simulation of the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle fire was performed in the Fluid Dynamic Simulator and then coupled with a subsequent thermal analysis of concrete structure carried out in ANSYS Mechanical APDL. In particular, an automatic procedure was used to extract the output of the fire simulation and apply them as boundary conditions of the thermal model. The one-way coupling procedure involving fire simulation and transient thermal analysis has been validated by comparing it with concrete temperatures of a previous test study. Then, two parameters, the diameter of thermal pressure relief devices (1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm) and fire spread time between vehicles (0 min, 20 min, and 30 min), are taken into account to study the thermal properties of concrete. The analysis revealed that an increase in the nozzle diameter of the thermal pressure relief device leads to a rise in the maximum concrete surface temperature. The simulation results also showed that the maximum value of the heat release rate increases with a higher value of the nozzle diameter of the thermal pressure relief device and a shorter fire spread time between vehicles.

CFD simulations of MHD effects on mixed convectional flow in a lid-driven square cavity with square cylinder using Casson fluid

Enclosure design significantly impacts thermal engineering processes and devices, including electronic devices, thermal exchangers, power engines, heating systems, solar panels, and nuclear power plants. The square cavity with variable aspect ratios is utilized for multi-objective optimization and improved thermal performance of microchannels. Cold cylinders in square enclosures are often utilized to reduce energy loss in micro heat sinks and heat exchangers. So, article’s main objective is to investigate concurrent characteristics of external and internal forces on a Casson fluid contained in a square cavity with magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). A square cylinder is embedded in the middle of the enclosure, and an inclined magnetic field with angle φ is applied. The upper lid is assumed to be inertially driven by a constant amount of slipping velocity, and a thermal state is disturbed by assuming uniform temperature at the left wall while the right wall and embedded cylinder are cool. The finite element method (FEM) based open-source software renowned as COMSOL Multiphysics is utilized to solve the non-dimensionalized momentum and energy equations. This study uses the square enclosure to study essential factors, such as the Casson parameter β , Hartmann number Ha , Reynolds number Re , and Grashof number Gr . The findings reveal that the kinetic energy at β = 10 is 12.22 times greater than that of β = 0.1 at Ha = 0 . It is observed that Ha , β , and Gr have a direct impact on the local Nusselt number. Fluid kinetic energy increases as Gr increases while it decreases as Re increases. This study shows how obstacles of various shapes and temperature conditions have an essential impact on handling heat transfer characteristics.

Impact of Solder Voids on IGBT Thermal Behavior: A Multi-Methodological Approach

This study investigates the thermal behavior of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) with a focus on the influence of solder voids within the device. Utilizing a combination of Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations, X-ray imaging, and SEM-EDX analysis, we accurately modeled the internal structure of IGBTs to assess the impact of void characteristics on thermal resistance. The findings reveal that the presence and characteristics of solder voids—particularly their size, number, and distribution—significantly affect the thermal resistance of IGBT devices. Experimental measurements validate the FEM model’s accuracy, confirming that voids disrupt the heat flow path, which can lead to increased thermal resistance and potential device failure. Five regression models, including Gaussian process regression (GPR) and neural networks, were employed to predict the thermal resistance based on void characteristics, with the GPR models demonstrating superior performance. The optimal GPR RQ model consistently provided accurate predictions with an RMSE of 0.0050 and R2 of 0.9728. Using the void percentage as the only input parameter for the regression models significantly impacted the prediction accuracy, showing the importance of the void extraction method. This study shows the necessity of minimizing solder voids and offers a robust methodological framework for a better prediction of the reliability of IGBTs.

Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Heat Pipe Using Water as a Working Fluid

Heat pipes are efficient and versatile thermal management devices widely used in various applications to transfer heat. This study focuses on investigating the heat transfer characteristics of a heat pipe employing de-ionized water as the working fluid. The experiment involved analyzing the thermal performance, heat transport capacity, and operational limits of the heat pipe. The aim of the experiment is to assess the heat pipe's performance under different operating conditions, such as varying heat loads. The study aimed to understand the heat transfer limitations and advantages of water-based heat pipes, which can have practical implications for numerous applications, such as electronics cooling, solar thermal systems, and space technology

Transient temperature measurement of silicon carbide Schottky barrier diode based on thermal reflection.

In this article, we present a transient temperature detection device for silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) based on thermal reflection theory. We constructed a thermal reflection temperature measurement device based on a 530-nm green laser. This device is more suitable for transient temperature measurement of SiC SBDs than previous thermal reflection equipment. The accuracy of temperature measurement by our device was confirmed by comparison with the results of infrared thermal imaging. The high temporal resolution characteristics of the thermal reflection technology allowed the detection of millisecond-level transient temperature changes in SiC SBDs. In addition, we investigated the complementarity of transient temperature change curves during heating and cooling processes, as well as the reasons for the differences between these curves. Finally, we used the structural function method combined with the Bayesian deconvolution algorithm to obtain the thermal resistance along the heat flow path of the device and validated the results using an established thermal resistance testing method.

Performance evaluation of underground thermal storage integrated dual-source heat pump systems

The increasing demand for electricity stresses the existing electric grids. Buildings consume 73% of all U.S. electricity and are responsible for 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating thermal energy storage (TES) in building heating/cooling systems, which consume considerable electricity, can mitigate the challenges to electric grids. This study reports on a novel thermal energy storage device integrated heat pump system to reshape the building electricity demand profile while maintaining thermal comfort. The annual performance of the proposed system has been evaluated through a dynamic system simulation with high fidelity in the Modelica platform. The dynamic model of the novel hybrid component named ‘dual purpose underground thermal battery’ was developed and validated. It was then incorporated into the system model. Given a time-of-use tariff, a rule-based control strategy was designed to shift the electric demand and switch the heat pump source for a typical single-family house in different climate zones of the United States. The system performance of the new TES-integrated dual-source heat pump was compared with that of a conventional air-source heat pump system. The results indicate that the proposed system can reduce the annual HVAC electricity cost by up to 52% while saving 45.2% on electricity consumption. In the Northern areas, the annual peak load of the HVAC system can be reduced by 64.9%. However, this reduction is less in the Southern areas as the system’s higher efficiency in winter dominates the overall energy-saving potential.

Cold obstacle influence on nanofluid convection in porous cavity

Enclosure design has a substantial influence on thermal engineering procedures and technology, such as electronics, thermal exchangers, power engines, heating systems, solar panels, and nuclear power plants. Triangular enclosures with different aspect ratios are used for multiple-purpose optimization and enhanced thermal efficiency in microchannels. Triangle enclosures with cold cylinders are often used to reduce heat loss in thermal exchange devices and nanoscale thermal sinks. The objective of the current study is to explore the natural convection of a hybrid nanofluid within a wavy-bottom triangular porous cavity containing an embedded cold inverted triangle, all under the influence of an inclined magnetic field. The inner inverted triangle maintains a lower temperature, while the wavy bottom wall of the outer triangular cavity acts as an isothermal heat source at high temperatures. The space between the inner and outer triangles is filled with hybrid nanofluid (Ag–MgO– water). The numerical solution for the modeled mathematical framework is derived using the open-source finite element program COMSOL. A wavy triangle enclosure is used in this work to analyze key elements, such as the Hartmann number, Ha, the Rayleigh number, Ra, the volume fraction, ϕ, the Darcy number, Da, and the inclination, γ. The local distribution of streamlines, velocity profile, isotherms, and entropy production are demonstrated along with the average Nusselt number. The findings reveal that the heat transfer rate and the total entropy generation increase with increase in Da, while their values decrease with increase in Ha. The value of Nu is raised with increase in the volume fraction ϕ and Rayleigh number Ra. The velocity profile shows increase with increase in the volume fraction ϕ and Rayleigh number Ra.

Mechanical and thermal performances of multistage flexible thermal control device: A case study in cylindrical heat pipe

Multistage flexible heat pipe has been proved to offer advantage of large flexibility as well as low thermal resistance. However, the effects of structural parameters on the comprehensive performances of such multistage thermal control device are still unclear, particularly regarding their mechanical properties. In this paper, effect of structural parameters on the mechanical and thermal performances of bionic multistage heat pipe is investigated. Results show that the stiffness of polymer tubes primarily determines the flexibility of multistage flexible heat pipe. The heat pipe with 4 metal tubes in the adiabatic section can achieve relative large flexibility and maximum bending angle as well as the short start-up time. The bending rigidity of multistage flexible heat pipe increases from 97624.4 N mm2 to 293152.9 N mm2 when its metal ratio raises from 0 % to 80 %. The thermal resistance of multistage flexible heat pipe decreases more than 32.9 % compared to the traditional flexible heat pipe. When the flexible heat pipe remains straight, the heat transfer performance will slightly increase as the shell metal ratio increases. However, its thermal resistance will also have an additional increase when bending. These results can serve as a guide for the design of the multistage flexible thermal control device.

15.5 MeV proton irradiation treatment of liquid phase exfoliated graphene

Exceptional Physical properties, including lightweight nature of graphene make it a highly promising material for space applications. However, the impact of proton irradiation, a common phenomenon in space environments, on the structural integrity and functional properties of graphene remains a critical area of research. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the effects of proton irradiation on liquid-phase exfoliated graphene. We focus specifically on the alterations in infrared spectra and structural characteristics of graphene induced by irradiation with 15.5 MeV protons. Our analysis reveals that organic molecules and functional groups adsorbed on graphene during exfoliation elevate the Fermi level, suppressing graphene's infrared absorption through the Pauli blocking effect. We demonstrate that proton irradiation, at fluences up to 1 × 1015 proton/cm2, effectively removes adsorbed molecules and functional groups, thereby eliminating Pauli blocking effect. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the behavior of graphene under proton irradiation, essential for its utilization in space-centric applications such as thermal coatings, electronics, and optical devices.

Optimal parameter settings of thulium fiber laser for ureteral stone lithotripsy: a comparative study in two different testing environments.

This study aims to identify optimal parameters for using Thulium fiber lasers (TFL) in ureteral stone lithotripsy to ensure laser safety and maximize efficacy. Our goal is to improve the outcomes of single-use semi-rigid ureteroscopy for treating stones located in the proximal ureter. A clinically relevant thermal testing device was designed to investigate heating effects during TFL stone fragmentation. The device was utilized to identify safe power thresholds for TFL at various irrigation rates. Three other devices were used to assess varying pulse energy effects on stone fragmentation efficiency, dusting, retropulsion, and depth of tissue vaporization. Comparative experiments in fresh porcine renal units were performed to validate the efficacy and safety of optimal TFL parameters for semi-rigid ureteroscopy in proximal ureteral stone procedures. Our study found that the improved device generated a higher thermal effect. Furthermore, the safe power threshold for laser lithotripsy increased as the irrigation rate was raised. At an irrigation rate of 40ml/min, it is safe to use an average power of less than 30 watts. Although increasing pulse energy has a progressively lower effect on fragmentation and dust removal efficiency, it did lead to a linear increase in stone displacement and tissue vaporization depth. Thermal testing showed 20W (53.87 ± 2.67°C) indicating potential urothelial damage. In our study of laser lithotripsy for proximal ureteral stones, the group treated with 0.3J pulses had several advantages compared to the 0.8J group: Fewer large fragments (> 4mm): 0 vs. 1.67 fragments (1-2.25), p = 0.002, a lower number of collateral tissue injuries: 0.50 (0-1.25) vs. 2.67 (2-4), p = 0.011, and lower stone retropulsion grading: 0.83 (0.75-1) vs. 1.67 (1-2), p = 0.046. There was no significant difference in operating time between the groups (443.33 ± 78.30s vs. 463.17 ± 75.15s, p = 0.664). These findings suggest that TFL irradiation generates a greater thermal effect compared to non-irradiated stones. Furthermore, the thermal effect during laser lithotripsy is influenced by both power and irrigation flow rate. Our study suggests that using a power below 15W with an irrigation flow rate of 20ml/min is safe. Moreover, a pulse energy of 0.3J appears to be optimal for achieving the best overall stone fragmentation effect.

Heat transfer investigation of nano – Encapsulated phase change materials (NEPCMs) in a thermal energy storage device

Phase change natural convection heat transport and flow features of a variety and new types of hybrid nanoliquids, suspension of Nano – encapsulated phase change materials (NEPCMs), within a square cavity is inspected theoretically in this analysis. The capsules are arranged with a shell and a PCM as a core. The shell of this NEPCM prevents the phase change material from the direct interaction of hot fluid and from the leakage. The heat capacity of the suspension contains latent heat generated at the time of phase change. The modeled equations are numerically scrutinized with Finite element method. Variable thermal conductivity parameter 1≤Nc≤5, variable viscosity parameter 1≤Nv≤5, radiation number 0.5≥R≥0.1, Rayleigh parameter 102≤Ra≤103, volume fraction of NEPCMs1%≤ϕ≤5% and fusion temperature (0.2≤θf≤1.0) impact on the patterns of heat capacity ratio, isotherms and velocity lines are examined in detail. The results indicates that, as the volume fraction values of NEPCMs amplifies from 1% to 5% the rates of heat transfer of the nanoliquid magnifies 42% compared to the host fluid. Non – dimensional rates of heat transport magnifies with growing (Ste) values.

Thermal Characterization of [C2Im][NO3] and Multivalent Nitrate Salts Mixtures

Due to their intrinsic properties, the current applicability of ionic liquids is enormous. In particular, their use in electrochemistry is beyond question. Numerous studies on these compounds and their mixtures, especially with lithium salts, focus on their use as electrolytes for batteries and other energy storage devices. This includes thermal energy storage devices, where 4th generation ionic liquids and their derivatives show a huge potential. Nevertheless, considering the uneven availability of the raw materials, such as lithium, research has extended to mixtures of these compounds with other salts of different metals that are more abundant and widely distributed, such as magnesium or aluminum. This work presents a comprehensive thermal characterization, using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry, of the protic ionic liquid ethylimidazolium nitrate and its mixture with magnesium and aluminum nitrate salts at different concentrations. Additionally, a comparison between these results and previous studies of mixtures of this ionic liquid with lithium nitrate, as well as mixtures of the protic ionic liquid EAN with the same metal salts, was also performed. The results indicated that the salt addition tends to broaden and reduce crystallization and melting peaks, while the glass transition becomes more visible and shifts to higher temperatures with increasing salt concentration. This is due to the disorder generated by the rearrangement of ions in the polar domains, which erodes the hydrogen bond network of the protic ionic liquid. Nevertheless, the thermal stability of the blended samples does not change significantly compared to the bulk ionic liquid.

Doping Strategies for Tetrasubstituted Paracyclophane Hole Transport Layers in Perovskite Solar Cells

AbstractBecause of its excellent hole conductivity, p‐doped 2,2′7,7′‐tetrakis‐(N,N‐di‐p‐methoxyphenyl‐amine)‐9,9′‐spiro‐bifluorene (spiro‐MeOTAD) is commonly deployed for hole transport in organic metal halide perovskite solar cells, but its rather expensive synthesis prompts the research for alternatives. In this work, tetrasubstituted [2.2]paracyclophanes (PCPs) are synthesized and investigated for replacing spiro‐MeOTAD. To enhance their conductivity, different doping strategies are followed. Best conductivities are achieved by doping PCP thin films with tris(2‐(1H‐pyrazol‐1‐yl)‐4‐tert‐butylpyridine)cobalt(III) tris(bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) (FK209), matching the conductivity of state‐of‐the‐art p‐doped spiro‐MeOTAD. Best performance in solar cells is leveraged by doping PCPs with the co‐dopants lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and 4‐tert‐butylpyridine (tBP) which are also used to p‐dope spiro‐MeOTAD thin films in solar cells. Yet, the thermal device stability is maximized upon doping PCPs with FK209 and 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ).

Positive temperature coefficient material based on silicone rubber/ paraffin/ graphite/ carbon nanotubes for wearable thermal management devices

PTC materials provide substantial advantages such as adaptive temperature control performance and excellent safety. However, their use in wearable devices has been limited due to the essential requirements for flexibility and stability. This study prepared a new type of flexible PTC material, with a PTC intensity of 6.3 and a resistivity of only 400 Ω·cm in the low-temperature region. The flexibility of the material is evidenced by its 2 mm bending diameter and its ability to maintain structural integrity even after 100 bends. Furthermore, experimental evidence proves that PTC material has excellent thermal stability and can withstand extreme temperatures ranging from −20 °C to 120 °C. In the thermal control experiment, the PTC material maintains a temperature of approximately 25 °C to accommodate the requirements of the human body in a cold environment. When compared to the conventional PI heating sheet, the newly prepared PTC material exhibits advantages such as rapid response, adaptive temperature control performance, and safety. Consequently, it presents a broad application prospect in the field of wearable heating devices.

Vapor-liquid coplanar structure enables high thermal conductive and extremely ultrathin vapor chamber

Ultrathin vapor chambers have great potential in cooling compact and portable electronics due to their unique advantages including adjustable cooling surface and good temperature uniformity. However, minimizing the thickness of the vapor chambers while maintaining high thermal conductivity could be mutually exclusive. Here, we develop an ultrathin vapor chamber that enables thermal conductivity of more than 10000 W/mK at an overall thickness of only 0.27 mm. Our ultrathin vapor chamber employs the vapor-liquid coplanar arrangement structure that minimizes the vapor flow pressure drop, the superhydrophilic hybrid mesh wicks that strengthen the capillary performance, and superhydrophilic orthogonal microgrooves that absorb the condensed liquid film and smooth the vapor channels. The heat transfer capability and thermal resistance are theoretically modelled to better understand the heat transfer mechanism of the ultrathin vapor chamber. The proposed extremely thin vapor chamber shows good superiority and great impetus in the thermal management of practical compact applications. This extremely ultrathin vapor chamber and the experimental results may guide the new directions for minimized thermal control devices.

Role of volatility and thermal properties in droplet spreading: a generalisation to Tanner's law

Droplet spreading is ubiquitous and plays a significant role in liquid-based energy systems, thermal management devices and microfluidics. While the spreading of non-volatile droplets is quantitatively understood, the spreading and flow transition in volatile droplets remains elusive due to the complexity added by interfacial phase change and non-equilibrium thermal transport. Here we show, using both mathematical modelling and experiments, that the wetting dynamics of volatile droplets can be scaled by the spatial–temporal interplay between capillary, evaporation and thermal Marangoni effects. We elucidate and quantify these complex interactions using phase diagrams based on systematic theoretical and experimental investigations. A spreading law of evaporative droplets is derived by extending Tanner's law (valid for non-volatile liquids) to a full range of liquids with saturation vapour pressure spanning from $10^1$ to $10^4$ Pa and on substrates with thermal conductivity from $10^{-1}$ to $10^3\ {\rm W}\ {\rm m}^{-1}\ {\rm K}^{-1}$ . In addition to its importance in fluid-based industries, the conclusions also enable a unifying explanation to a series of individual works including the criterion of flow reversal and the state of dynamic wetting, making it possible to control liquid transport in diverse application scenarios.

Computational Insight into the Physical Properties of Bulk MP (M = Li, Na, K) for Energy Applications.

In this study, we applied density functional theory to compute the electronic, optical, and thermal properties of MP (M = Li, Na, K). We find that the materials under consideration are stable, owing to the lack of negative frequencies in the phonon spectra. LiP exhibits an indirect band gap of 1.43 eV. NaP and KP have direct band gaps of 1.67 and 1.76 eV, respectively. The family of these composites shows strong absorption, observed by their very sharp absorption edges and confirmed by their direct transition from the valence to conduction band. They exhibit strong absorption below 4.0 eV in the optical spectra, which could serve in a solar cell device. The thermal calculations show high zT values of 0.74, 0.78, and 0.64 at 300 K for LiP, NaP, and KP, respectively. Thus, our results could be promising for electronic and thermal devices.

Numerical investigation of the effect of an air layer on the melting process of phase change materials

Designing more effective thermal energy storage devices can result from understanding how air layers impact the melting process. The total efficiency of these systems can be improved by optimizing the melting process of the phase change materials (PCMs), which are utilised to store and release thermal energy. The current study utilises an analysis to evaluate how an air layer would affect melting of the PCM. The enthalpy-porosity combination based ANSYS/FLUENT 16 software is specifically used to accomplish this study, considering the paraffin wax (RT42) as the PCM. The study reveal that the presence of an air layer would impact the dissolution process. This result is assured an increase of melting time of PCM by 125% as a result to having an air layer of 5 cm thickness compared to a cell without an air layer. Furthermore, an increase of the layer thickness beyond 5 cm has a progressive effect on the melting time of PCM. One important component that affects the melting process is the existence of an air layer above the cell. Greater heat transfer resistance from thicker air layers prolongs the time needed to finish melting. The efficient heat transmission of PCM is shown to be reduced when there is an air layer above the cell. The melting process gradually slows down as the air layer thickness rises, which reflects the decreased heat transmission. These results highlight how crucial it is to take the environment into account while creating PCM-filled energy storage cells.