Thermal control of electronic components using a liquid around the phase change material
Résumé
As part of the research in the field of thermal control of electronic components, we confined a phase change material (plastic paraffin) in a liquid and we heated it on one vertical side by a hot plate. The presence of the liquid around the phase change material (PCM) prevents the direct contact between the hot plate and the PCM (increases the lifetime of the PCM by reducing overheating zones). It improves heat transfer by increasing the thermal conductivity around the PCM (increases the thermal exchange surface) and by accelerating the convective transfer (it starts very quickly without waiting for the beginning of melting). In this work, we examine experimentally and numerically the effect of the choice of liquid on the PCM and on the heating plate. In this paper, water and Siloil M40.165/200.10 are employed around the phase change materials and a comparative study of some important results examining the melt front, total melting time, flow direction and thermal behavior is conducted to investigate which liquid is the most optimal to use. Finally, it has been found that the thermal properties of water (especially heat capacity) seem to be the most interesting for a thermal protection role.