Closed-Loop System Evaluation of Pressure-tunable Thermal Energy Storage Devices
Abstract
Approved for Public ReleaseWhile the design and operation of thermal management systems (TMSs) have long been important for electronics cooling, increased attention is being paid to the transient performance of TMSs. This is due to the increasingly dynamic natureof heat loads generated by high-power electronics. Latent thermal energy storage (TES) systems, when adequately sized and controlled, have been demonstrated to enhance the robustness of TMSs to high frequency heat loading of significant magnitude. However, a major limitation of conventional phase change materials (PCMs) is their fixed phase transition temperature, which can limit the available temperature differential required to achieve heat transfer with the heat transfer fluid. A potential alternative is the use of barocaloric effect PCMs whose transition temperatures can be influenced by an external pressure field. However, research beyond fundamental materials characterization is needed to evaluate the feasibility and potential of pressure-tunable (P-tunable) TES materials tosubstantially improve the transient performance of TMSs.In this proposal#Closed-Loop System Evaluation of Pressure-tunable Thermal Energy Storage Devices#PI Neera Jain (Purdue University) will develop the necessary closed-loop modeling framework to evaluate the feasibility and performance of P-tunable TES materials for transient thermal management of high-power electronics. The first task will focus on deriving and validating a reduced-order sub-scale (single tube) model under isobaric operation at discrete pressures. Theisobaric assumption will then be relaxed to model and validate the sub-scale TES device model while accounting for dynamic pressureeffects. The final task will involve scaling the single-tube model into an at-scale TES device model and integrating it into a complete closed-loop transient TMS simulation. The anticipated outcomes of these tasks are 1) a first-of-its-kind reduced-order dynamic model of a subscale P-tunable TES device that has been experimentally validated for different barocaloric effect PCMs, 2) a reduced-order and closed-loop dynamic simulation model that combines the dynamics of the P-tunable TES device with those of a conventional TMS , and 3) extensive simulation-based analysis to answer critical questions surrounding system-level performance with respect to relevant figures of merit.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 10, 2025
- Source ID
- N000142512186
Entities
People
- Neera Sundaram
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Purdue University
- United States Navy