Transient melting of paraffin waxes embedded in aluminum foams: Experimental results and modeling

Abstract

Abstract An energy saving way for electronics cooling during peak demand is represented by phase change materials (PCMs), which could maintain the temperature of the electronic equipment at low values by using the latent heat of melting without requiring any power input. Among the organic PCMs, paraffins are widely available in a large range of melting temperatures. This paper explores the possible use of three paraffins with different melting temperatures. Each paraffin is embedded in three different aluminum foams, having approximately the same volumetric porosity (92–93%), but different linear porosity (5, 10 and 40 pores per linear inch). The system made of foam and paraffin is electrically heated from one side by applying three different heat fluxes (10, 15 and 20\u202fkW\u202fm−2). Results are given in terms of temperature distribution both of the heated side of the foams and of the paraffin inside the foams, and the effects of the melting temperature of the paraffins and of the linear porosity of the foams are highlighted. In addition, an empirical correlation is proposed to model the paraffin melting phenomenon.