Thermal Phase Change Research Articles

Phase change thermal interface materials with interface adaptability and self-healing properties

Thermal stress resulting from excessive temperatures is a major cause of electronic device failure. In this work, with easy installation and good interface adaptability, Phase Change Thermal Interface Materials (PCTIMs) which possess high thermal conductivity were prepared. By incorporating phase change material stearic acid (SA) into the thermal interface material, the instantaneous heat absorption during the solid-liquid phase transition of SA effectively alleviates the problem of instantaneous high heat flux impacting electronic devices. Additionally, the solid-liquid transition reduces the modulus of TIMs, thereby minimizing the contact thermal resistance between the heat source and the heat sink during mechanical installation. To further enhance performance, the thermal interface material utilizes a dynamically cross-linked polyolefin elastomer (POE) with borate bonds, which effectively restricts the flow of SA even at its phase change point due to the three-dimensional cross-linked framework. By constructing a thermal conductive network using carbon fibers and aluminum nitride of different dimensions, the thermal conductivity of the thermal interface material reached 1.82 W∙m−1K−1 with a filler content of only 30 vol % . At 70 °C, with a force of 50 N applied to a sample area of 400 mm², the contact thermal resistance was only 2.39×10−4 K∙m2W−1. Furthermore, the PCTIMs exhibits excellent self-healing ability under thermal conditions, assuring the permanent encapsulation of small electronic devices.

Effect and mechanism of phase change lightweight aggregate on temperature control and crack resistance in high-strength mass concrete

Under temperature stress, high-strength mass concrete is brittle due to its high total heat of hydration. In this study, a control mixture of C55 high-strength mass concrete meeting the performance requirements was prepared. The effects of different functional aggregates on the thermal properties, such as setting and hardening rate, peak temperature, and temperature rise and fall rate in the early stage of cement hydration, as well as the effects of functional lightweight aggregates on the workability, mechanical properties, and deformation properties of concrete, were investigated in this paper using two types of aggregates with thermal insulation and phase change energy storage functions. The study shows that, in addition to having some early strength impacts and temperature management capabilities, thermal storage coarse lightweight aggregate (PCCLA) and thermal insulation fine lightweight aggregate (TIFLA) can both increase the workability and crack resistance of concrete. When it comes to temperature regulation, thermal storage coarse aggregate outperforms thermal insulation functional aggregate significantly. Thermal insulation fine aggregate can improve the rate of setting and hardening, while coarse thermal storage aggregate may work as in-situ self-heating curing in the early stages due to its phase change energy storage. This quickens the rate of setting and hardening and increases the resistivity of the set period, which in turn increases the rate of drying shrinkage.

Anisotropic and shape-stable sugarcane-based phase change composites in the application of solar thermal energy storage

The study of anisotropically thermal conductive phase change composites (PCCs) with shape-stability is of great importance to improve the intermittent issues in solar thermal utilization, while some drawbacks like the high cost, low thermal conductivity, and poor durability of current PCCs restrains their practical applications. Herein, a cheap and scalable biomass-based PCC containing carbonized sugarcane (CSC), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and graphene (GF) is proposed. The abundant vessels inside CSC result in a high PEG loading rate of 82.48 %. The naturally occurring anisotropic structure inside CSC can drive GF to be oriented along the lengthwise direction, which gives PCC a high thermal conductivity anisotropy degree of 1.45. The prominent anisotropy improves the lengthwise thermal diffusion and restrains the transverse heat leakage to the environment. Besides, the loaded GF can further enhance the light absorption of PCC to 98 %. As a result, the prepared PCC can achieve high solar-thermal energy storage efficiencies of 79.3–91.7 % with variable solar intensity from 1 to 2 suns. Meanwhile, good anti-leakage and durability performances promote the practical utilization of PCCs. The present work paves a promising road for manufacturing biomass-based anisotropic PCCs in efficient solar thermal energy storage.

Cycle performance analysis of hybrid battery thermal management system coupling phase change material with liquid cooling for lithium-ion battery module operated at high C-rates

High performance battery thermal management system (BTMS) is urgently needed to satisfy the severe cooling demand of battery modules operated at high C-rates during continuous charging-discharging cycles. Hybrid BTMS coupling phase change material (PCM) with liquid cooling is a promising solution which attracts great attention in recent years. Here, cycle performance of the hybrid system is analyzed in detail via comparison with the pure PCM system to examine its reliability and demonstrate its superiority during continuous 3C-charging and 4C-discharging cycles. Effects of PCM melting temperature are studied and RT44HC is found a suitable PCM choice with appropriate melting temperature. Analysis of the first three cycles is proved important and basically sufficient as system thermal behavior stabilizes afterwards. Further, interacting mechanisms of expanded graphite (EG) content and battery distance on system cooling performance are elucidated and their possible combinations satisfying temperature requirements of battery module in both temperature rise and temperature uniformity are presented. Optimal combination of EG content and battery distance is 3 % and 3 mm. Effects of coolant velocity are also investigated and suitable velocity for the optimized hybrid system is set at 0.01 ms−1 to achieve balance between cooling performance and auxiliary energy cost.

Modeling the thermal behavior of multifunctional syntactic foams containing phase change materials for heat management applications

AbstractSyntactic foams are lightweight porous composites obtained by the addition of hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) to a polymer matrix. This work experimentally and numerically investigates the thermal behavior of epoxy‐based syntactic foams with enhanced multifunctionality produced by incorporating microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) as functional fillers, providing thermal energy storage and temperature stabilization due to its large latent heat of melting. Foams are fabricated using varying ratios of HGMs (0–40 vol%) and PCM (0–40 vol%) to achieve tuned densities and thermal properties with a total filler content of up to 40 vol%. A one‐dimensional numerical heat transfer model based on the enthalpy method is presented to simulate the thermal behavior of these materials. The model accurately incorporates the specific heat and thermal conductivity of the foam components, as well as the latent heat absorption during PCM melting (up to 68 J/g). The model is experimentally validated by demonstrating good agreement with the measurements of transient temperature profiles during heating tests on the foam samples. The validated tool is then leveraged to model the thermal response of the foams under a sinusoidally varying heat source, similar to the possible real applicative scenarios. These results can help optimize foam compositions balancing energy storage density, heat transfer properties, and structural support for lightweight energy storage systems. Potential applications include high‐efficiency thermal management in battery packs, electronic cooling, solar energy storage, and sustainable temperature‐controlled buildings.Highlights Foams with 0–40 vol% PCM and 0–40 vol% HGM show up to 68 J/g latent heat. 1D numerical model accurately captures thermal conductivity and PCM phase change. Validated model simulates thermal response under sinusoidal heat, optimizing foam composition. Foams act as thermal reservoirs, maintaining up to 5°C lower surface temperatures than epoxy.

Analysis of charging performance of thermal energy storage system with graded metal foam structure and active flip method

The latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) technology based on solid-liquid phase change material (PCM) is characterized by high energy storage density, small volume change, and constant operation temperature, which is widely employed in waste heat recovery, solar thermal utilization, and equipment thermal management. This paper introduces active flipping and graded porous to strengthen natural convection and heat conduction to alleviate the issue of low thermal conductivity and non-uniform phase change of PCM. Based on the fixed grid system, the enthalpy-porosity method combined with time-dependent gravity and non-Darcy porous effect is employed to solve the solid-liquid phase change problem under different porosity gradients, dimensionless flipping times (t*), and modified Ra (Ra*) numbers. Furthermore, the effects of the Ra* on the optimal t* and porosity gradient are also discussed. The results show that the flipping method can significantly enhance flow and heat transfer within the container, improve temperature field uniformity, and increase the proportion of latent heat storage. With the increase of porosity gradient and t*, the melting time initially decreases and then increases and the optimal thermal performance is achieved at a 6 % porosity gradient and t* = 0.4. Compared to the uniform porous structure without flipping, it can shorten melting time by 49.37 % and improve thermal energy storage rate (TESR) by 76.23 %. Additionally, the optimal porosity gradient is 6 % under different Ra*, but the optimal t* decreases with the increase of Ra*. This paper explores the charging performance of the thermal energy storage system with the graded metal foam structure and active flip method, which can contribute to the study of heat transfer enhancement in LHTES technology.

Adjustable temperature and high thermal conductivity composite phase change material based on sodium acetate trihydrate–alanine/expanded graphite for thermal management of electronic devices

Phase change energy storage technology using phase change materials (PCMs) is a viable solution to effectively address the heat dissipation problems of electronic devices. Herein, we proposed to prepare a modified PCM using CH3COONa·3H2O (SAT) as main PCM, 9 wt% DL-Alanine (DL) as temperature modifier, and 2 wt% Na2HPO4·12H2O as nucleating agent. Calculations using density functional theory method confirmed that the adjustment of DL on phase change temperature of SAT was originated from the hydrogen bond between them. Then, the modified PCM was loaded into 14 wt% expanded graphite (EG) to obtain a composite PCM with a suitable phase change temperature of 52.9 °C, phase change enthalpy of 227.4 J/g as well as supercooling degree of 6.6 °C, and the thermal conductivity of the composite PCM was as high as 11.52 W·m−1·K−1. SEM and pore structure analyses showed that the modified PCM was successfully loaded into the pore structure of EG, and their combination was verified by XRD and FT-IR as a physical interaction. After 200 heating–cooling cycles, the phase change temperature and enthalpy of the composite PCM was basically unchanged along with consistent crystal structure and chemical composition, showing an excellent thermal reliability. A comparative analysis applied in a testing system showed that with loading of the composite PCM temperature control module, the critical time of the electronic chip was extended by 4670 s and the thermal equilibrium temperature was decreased by 20.4 °C, presenting a good thermal management performance. Therefore, the prepared composite PCM had great potential for application in thermal management of electronic devices.

Comparative CFD Analysis of Heat Transfer Enhancement in Phase Change Thermal Energy Storage with and without Fins for Solar Energy Storage

Comparative CFD Analysis of Heat Transfer Enhancement in Phase Change Thermal Energy Storage with and without Fins for Solar Energy Storage

Energy saving and carbon reduction of the application of phase change materials in rammed earth heritage buildings

ABSTRACT The combination of conventional thermal insulation materials and phase change materials (PCMs) was proposed without damaging the appearance of REHBs, the internal insulation measures of four types of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and six kinds of PCM boards combinations were investigated, and 19 retrofit cases were obtained. By conducting detailed simulations of energy consumption and indoor temperature for different cases at different locations, and comprehensively comparing multi-objects (energy-saving, economic and low-carbon), the energy consumption, cost recovery period and carbon reduction of these cases are compared and analyzed. The results show that Case I (only EPS) has the best energy-saving performance, economy and carbon emission reduction, Case III (EPS and PCM) is the second and Case II (only PCM) is the worst. The energy-saving rate of Case I and Case III (16 ℃) differs by 5.65%, while the cost, incremental benefit and payback period differ by 9.34%, 10.2%, and 1.57 years, respectively. Case III is a new and better passive retrofit measure of the REHB. Its energy-saving, cost and carbon reduction are only about 10% lower than that of Case I, but it has better indoor comfort. The outcomes can provide a reference for the innovative energy-saving retrofit cases for REHBs.

Para-Aminoazobenzenes-Bipolar Redox-Active Molecules.

Azobenzenes (ABs) are versatile compounds featured in numerous applications for energy storage systems, such as solar thermal storages or phase change materials. Additionally, the reversible one-electron reduction of these diazenes to the nitrogen-based radical anion has been used in battery applications. Although the oxidation of ABs is normally irreversible, 4,4'-diamino substitution allows a reversible 2e- oxidation, which is attributed to the formation of a stable bis-quinoidal structure. Herein, we present a system that shows a bipolar redox behaviour. In this way, ABs can serve not only as anolytes, but also as catholytes. The resulting redox potentials can be tailored by suitable amine- and ring-substitution. For the first time, the solid-state structure of the oxidized form could be characterized by X-ray diffraction.

Para‐Aminoazobenzole – Bipolare Redoxaktive Verbindungen

AbstractAzobenzole (AB) sind vielseitige Verbindungen mit zahlreichen Anwendungsgebieten. Eines dieser Gebiete ist die Energiespeicherung, wie zum Beispiel molekulare organischen Solarthermie (MOST) Speicher, oder Phasenwechselmaterial. Batterien sind eine weitere Applikation von AB als elektrochemische Energiespeicher, die auf der reversiblen 1e− Reduktion zu Radikalanion beruhen. Oxidationen von AB sind üblicherweise irreversibel, können jedoch durch eine 4,4‘‐Diaminosubstitution reversibel werden. Diese Reversibilität ist auf die Bildung eine stabile Chinonstruktur zurückzuführen. Hier präsentieren wir ein System, das bipolares Redoxverhalten von AB zeigt. Dadurch können AB nicht nur als Anolyte, sondern auch als Katholyte eingesetzt werden. Die erhaltenden Redoxpotentiale können durch geeignete Amin‐ oder Ringsubstitutionen angepasst werden. Des Weiteren wurde die Festkörperstruktur der oxidierten Chinonform zum ersten Mal mittels Röntgenbeugung charakterisiert.

Self-healing, adaptive and shape memory polymer-based thermal interface phase change materials via boron ester cross-linking

Addressing the thermal resistance between rough interfaces without applying pressure to the interfacial sandwich has been a challenge. Herein, a thermal interface phase change material (TIPCM) is designed to realize a 3D support skeleton with a dynamic crosslinking network by introducing a boron ester crosslinking backbone into paraffin wax (PW) and ethylene-octene copolymer (EOC), thus enabling the TIPCM to ensure mechanical integrity without leakage even above the melting temperature of EOC. The chemical cross-linking between the organic solid–liquid phase change material (PCM) and the polymer realizes thermally triggered self-healing and adaptive shape memory properties. The phase transition of PW leads to a decrease in the modulus of TIPCM and activates the ester exchange of the dynamic covalent bonding of boron esters, which allows TIPCM to self-heal and self-adapt to a variety of object surfaces. These enabled the TIPCM to fill the interface gaps through small stress deformations, forming an interlocking structure that reduces contact thermal resistance and promotes heat transfer. The obtained TIPCM achieves excellent chip thermal management performance, cooling the analog CPU temperature by 67 °C at 5 V. In conclusion, this study provides a potential strategy for redesigning TIPCMs with high latent heat and special physical properties for thermal management.

Uncovering Temperature-Insensitive Feature of Phase Change Thermal Storage Electrolyte for Safe Lithium Battery.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have emerged as highly promising energy storage devices due to their high energy density and long cycle life. However, their safety concern, particularly under thermal shock, hinders their widespread applications. Herein, a temperature-insensitive electrolyte (TI-electrolyte) with exceptional resistance to thermal stimuli is presented to address the safety issues arising from the lack of thermal abuse tolerance in LIBs. The TI-electrolyte is composed of two phase-change polymers with differentiation melting points (60 and 35°C for polycaprolactone and polyethylene glycol respectively), delivering a wide temperature-resistant range. It is demonstrated that the TI-electrolyte possesses a heat capacity of 27.3Jg-1. The crystalline region in the TI-electrolyte shrinks when confronted with above-ambient temperature, absorbing heat to unlock molecular chains fixed in the crystal lattice, becoming amorphous. Notably, the Li||LFP pouch cell delays 3 valuable minutes to achieve the same temperature as conventional liquid electrolytes (LE) when subjected to thermal shocks, paralleling with the simulation results. Moreover, symmetrical Li||Li cell cycles stably for over 600h at 0.1mAcm-2, and Li||LFP full cell demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance, with a capacity of 142.7mAhg-1 at 0.5C, thus representing a critical approach to enhancing the safety of LIBs.

Carbon-Enhanced Hydrated Salt Phase Change Materials for Thermal Management Applications.

Inorganic hydrated salt phase change materials (PCMs) hold promise for improving the energy conversion efficiency of thermal systems and facilitating the exploration of renewable thermal energy. Hydrated salts, however, often suffer from low thermal conductivity, supercooling, phase separation, leakage and poor solar absorptance. In recent years, compounding hydrated salts with functional carbon materials has emerged as a promising way to overcome these shortcomings and meet the application demands. This work reviews the recent progress in preparing carbon-enhanced hydrated salt phase change composites for thermal management applications. The intrinsic properties of hydrated salts and their shortcomings are firstly introduced. Then, the advantages of various carbon materials and general approaches for preparing carbon-enhanced hydrated salt PCM composites are briefly described. By introducing representative PCM composites loaded with carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, graphene oxide, graphene, expanded graphite, biochar, activated carbon and multifunctional carbon, the ways that one-dimensional, two-dimensional, three-dimensional and hybrid carbon materials enhance the comprehensive thermophysical properties of hydrated salts and affect their phase change behavior is systematically discussed. Through analyzing the enhancement effects of different carbon fillers, the rationale for achieving the optimal performance of the PCM composites, including both thermal conductivity and phase change stability, is summarized. Regarding the applications of carbon-enhanced hydrate salt composites, their use for the thermal management of electronic devices, buildings and the human body is highlighted. Finally, research challenges for further improving the overall thermophysical properties of carbon-enhanced hydrated salt PCMs and pushing towards practical applications and potential research directions are discussed. It is expected that this timely review could provide valuable guidelines for the further development of carbon-enhanced hydrated salt composites and stimulate concerted research efforts from diverse communities to promote the widespread applications of high-performance PCM composites.

Enhancing the thermal cyclic reliability of salt-based shape-stabilized phase change materials by in-situ SiO2–C interconnectivity in rice husk carbon

Utilizing salt-based shape-stabilized phase change materials (ss-PCMs) for high-temperature thermal energy storage stands as a pivotal avenue in realizing carbon neutrality. However, the performance of ss-PCMs significantly deteriorates after thermal cycling. This study utilizes rice husk carbon (RHC) with an in-situ SiO2–C interconnected structure as the encapsulating material, along with expanded graphite (EG) and MgO, to encapsulate ternary chloride (TC). In this approach, RHC simultaneously acts as a thermal conductivity materials (TCM) and a ceramic supporting material (CCM). The results showed that this encapsulation method can effectively encapsulate up to 65% of TC. The 60 wt% TC-10 wt% RHC-10 wt% EG-20 wt% MgO sample named 60T/10R/10E/20M is considered a close to optimal formulation in terms of thermal conductivity and phase change enthalpy. This ss-PCM has a thermal conductivity of 8.86 W m−1 K−1, and phase change enthalpy of 153.6 J g−1. The ss-PCMs maintained shape stability even after 1000 cycles, with minimal mass loss and thermal conductivity degradation compared to the non-RHC-added ss-PCM. This study has prepared high performance and reliability thermal storage materials through a green and low-cost approach.

Impact of dual nano-enhanced phase change materials on mitigating thermal runaway in lithium-ion battery cell

Thermal management remains a pivotal challenge in enhancing the safety and efficiency of lithium-ion batteries, especially under conditions prone to thermal runaway. This study investigates the performance of dual nano-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCM) in moderating extreme thermal events in battery cells. By integrating nanoparticles, specifically alumina and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), into phase change materials (PCM), the study explores modifications in thermal behavior and phase change dynamics within a cylindrical battery enclosure. The research focuses on comparing the thermal performance of pure PCM and NEPCM, using two types of nanoparticles dispersed within the PCM matrix at various volume fractions. The findings indicate that NEPCM significantly improves heat transfer rates and accelerates the melting process. Specifically, NEPCM with 6 % SWCNT increases the melting temperature distribution by up to 15.27 % compared to pure PCM setups and enhances the liquid fraction by up to 66.54 % under similar conditions. The inclusion of SWCNT demonstrates a superior enhancement in thermal conductivity compared to alumina, leading to more effective heat absorption and dissipation. Liquid fraction analysis confirms that NEPCM configurations facilitate quicker and more uniform thermal behaviors, especially near the heat source. PCM1, positioned adjacent to the battery, exhibits an immediate increase in temperature and melting rate, significantly outperforming PCM2 in thermal regulation. This study underscores the potential of dual nano-enhanced PCM in improving the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries, particularly in scenarios at risk of thermal runaway. By optimizing the PCM formulation with nanoparticles, a robust solution is presented to control temperature spikes and improve battery safety and durability in challenging operational environments.

Numerical Investigation of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Trapezoidal Fin Phase Change Thermal Energy Storage Unit

Abstract: In order to enhance the heat transfer performance of a phase change thermal energy storage unit, the effects of trapezoidal fins of different sizes and arrangement modes were studied by numerical simulation in the heat storage and release processes. The optimal enhancement solution was obtained by comparing the temperature distribution, instantaneous liquid-phase ratio, solid–liquid phase diagram and comprehensive heat storage and release performance of the thermal energy storage unit under different fin sizes. During the heat storage process, the results show that when the ratio of the length of the upper and lower base of the trapezoid h1/h2 is 1:9, the heat storage time is shortened by 9.03% and 18.21% compared with h1/h2 = 3:7 and 5:5, respectively. During the heat release process, the optimal heat transfer effect is achieved when h1/h2 = 5:5. To further improve the heat transfer effects, the energy storage unit is placed upside down; then, the least time is achieved when h1/h2 = 2:8. When heat storage and release are considered together, the energy storage unit with h1/h2 = 2:8 takes the shortest time to melt in upright placement and then to solidify in upside-down placement.

Functional Soft Materials with Resistance to Liquid Leakage for Thermal Energy Storage

AbstractFunctional soft materials have great potential commercial applications in thermal energy storage, which are required to have a long life, good flexibility, and resistance to liquid leakage. Herein, a composite hydrogel with thermal storage properties is prepared through coupling molecular self‐assembly and in situ polymerization. Hydrophobic stearic acid (SA), as a thermal storage phase change material (PCM), is dispersed in polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel network in the form of oil–water emulsion (O/W). The PAM polymer network with good flexibility physically limits high‐frequency collision between SA PCM droplets. This unique design avoids demulsification in phase change emulsion so that the as‐prepared hydrogel composite can resist liquid leakage. The PAM hydrogel network plays the role of heterogeneous nucleation, resulting in the super‐cooling of SA emulsion at only 0.3 °C. On the other hand, SA PCM droplets in as‐prepared soft material do not directly contact with liquid water, so melting/crystallization process is independent of water. As a result, the soft material exhibits a thermal storage density of up to 99.3 J g−1. The present study is an important step toward designing soft energy storage materials.

High thermal conductivity composite phase change material with Zn2+ metal organic gel and expanded graphite for battery thermal management

Phase change materials (PCMs) with promising potential thermal energy is stored and released much thermal energy during phase change process, which has greatly prospect in building energy conservation, waste heat recovery, energy storage, electrical vehicles (EVs) and other fields. Nevertheless, the low thermal conductivity and easy leakage of PCM is still a challenge to restrict its fasting development. Traditional supporting material is hard to reconcile antileakage and thermal conductivity of composite PCM (CPCM). Herein, the polyethylene glycol (PEG) with three-dimensional Zn2+ metal–organic gel (ZnHGL) as high-thermal conductivity support framework, styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer (SBS) and expanded graphite (EG) has been designed and prepared PZSE with high thermal conductivity, accompany with double transferring heat and supporting network structure. In contrast with pure PEG, the thermal conductivity of PZSE2 is increased by obvious 8.7 times when Zn2+ metal–organic gel and SBS with the proportion of 1:1, the mass maintenance rate and latent heat storage capacity are increased to 99.5 % and 103.64 J/g, respectively. Further, the thermal imaging camera indicate that PZSE2 exhibit a stable temperature-regulation property, which is benefited to extend the time to adjust the temperature. Additionally, the maximum temperature and temperature differential of the battery module with PZSE2 can be maintained within 60 °C and 6 °C, respectively, even at 1.5C discharge rate after ten cycling process. It indicates that the battery module with PZSE2 has optimum thermal management effect. Therefore, PZSE with metal–organic gel and EG can provide a promising candidate utilization in thermal regulation of EVs and energy storage.

A graphene-CuNWs@PAMPS mixed aerogel for composite phase change materials with high thermal conductivity and excellent solar-thermal to electrical conversion

Phase change materials could store and release heat energy through phase change. However, the shortcomings of low thermal conductivity in the photothermal conversion process and easy leakage in the solid-liquid conversion seriously hinder the application of heat energy utilization. Graphene had high thermal conductivity, and it was an ideal material for improving the solar absorption, solar energy conversion and thermal conductivity of phase change materials. In this paper, a graphene aerogel composed of copper nanowires (CuNWs)/2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) was designed. The thermal conductivity and shape stability of phase change materials for solar-thermal-electrical conversion applications were enhanced by composite CuNWs. Furthermore, PAMPS was coated on the surface of copper nanowires to avoid the oxidation of copper nanowires, and the sulfonic acid group of PAMPS was used to induce CuNWs to disperse uniformLy on the graphene sheets, which further constructed a good conductive network. After vacuum impregnation of PW, the best thermal conductivity phase change composite (PW-CuNWs@PAMPS-GA(1:1)) was obtained. The PCC loaded with CuNWs with the same graphene content achieved a thermal conductivity of 1.46 W/(m·K) and a high latent heat of 206.8 J/g. The latent heat retention rate was as high as 99.57 %. The photothermal conversion efficiency of PW-CuNWs@PAMPS-GA(1:1) was remarkable at 96.4 %. Due to its excellent solar-thermal-electrical conversion efficiency, the output voltage and output current were 800.8 mV and 85.8 mA, respectively, at a solar analog intensity of 5 kW/m2. Even after the sunlight was stopped, the voltage output could be maintained for a while by releasing the heat energy stored in the phase change composite.