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Melting of PCMs Embedded in Copper Foams: An Experimental Study
Andrea Diani1, Luisa Rossetto1
1Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Venezia 1, 35131 Padova, Italy.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 3, 2021
Summary
Passive cooling using Phase Change Materials (PCMs) enhanced with copper foam offers an efficient solution for electronics. Higher heat flux and denser foam accelerate PCM melting, with copper outperforming aluminum foam.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Thermal Engineering
- Electronics Cooling
Background:
- Passive cooling methods, such as Phase Change Materials (PCMs), are crucial for electronics without requiring external power.
- PCMs leverage latent heat during their solid-to-liquid phase transition for thermal management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the melting behavior of various PCMs integrated with copper foams.
- To evaluate the impact of different heat fluxes and foam properties on PCM melting performance.
- To compare the thermal performance of copper and aluminum foams.
Main Methods:
- Experimental analysis of PCM melting within copper foams (10 PPI, 6.7% and 9.5% relative densities).
- Application of controlled heat fluxes (10, 15, 20 kW m⁻²) to one side of the PCM-foam composite.
- Comparative study using aluminum foam with identical morphological characteristics.
Main Results:
- Increased heat flux reduces PCM melting time and raises the heated side temperature.
- Higher foam density (9.5% relative density copper foam) demonstrated slightly improved performance.
- Copper foam exhibited superior thermal performance compared to aluminum foam.
Conclusions:
- The selection of PCM melting temperature is critical for desired passive cooling duration.
- Copper foam effectively enhances PCM thermal conductivity for electronics cooling applications.
- Experimental data validated against a pre-existing correlation for dimensionless results.
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