PCM Composite Cold Plate.

Abstract

This Phase I SBIR project has investigated a lightweight packaging design for phase change materials (PCMs) used in thermal management. To control expansion stress, conventional PCM heat sinks have strong encapsulation that weighs more than the PCM they contain. The objective of this work is to develop PCM heat sinks configured as thin sandwich plates, in which the mass of the encapsulation is a small fraction of the PCM mass. The design is based on a lightweight carbon fiber core that has suitable mechanical, thermal, and capillary properties. PCM composite plates were fabricated with dimensions 15x15x0.6 cm3 and with a dodecan, sealed, and successfully tested in thermal-vacuum environment. No performance degration was observed after 100 deep thermal cycles in air. A lightweight design incorporating heat pipes was demonstrated. It appears feasible to fabricate such plates with thickness 1-10 mm and with organic PCM mass fractions exceeding 75%. Thick heat sinks may be formed by laminating thin plates.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADB214415

Entities

People

  • Timothy R. Knowles

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alkanes
  • Carbon Carbon Composites
  • Carbon Fibers
  • Composite Materials
  • Energy Storage
  • Fabrication
  • Heat Of Fusion
  • Heat Pipes
  • Heat Transfer
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Latent Heat
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Phase Transformations
  • Specific Heat
  • Temperature Control

Readers

  • Software Engineering
  • Structural Dynamics.
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.