Analysis of a Novel Nano Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage Suitable in Cold Climates

This experimental study aimed to develop a novel nano-phase change material (nano-PCM) for low temperature thermal energy storage applications. Both a preparation and thermal property evaluation of the novel nano-phase change material have been carried out where RT-18 paraffin (PAR), a typical low melting phase change material (PCM), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were chosen as a matrix PCM and a thermal conductivity enhancer, respectively. The GNP concentration in the nano-PCM was varied between 0 to 1 wt.% and the thermal properties of the newly prepared nano-PCMs were measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and a hot disk thermal conductivity equipment. The main findings of this study are that the incorporation of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) enhanced thermal conductivity by 80.9% at 1 wt.% concentration, while reducing latent heat by -2.67%. The optimal concentration for minimal latent heat loss and maximal conductivity improvement was determined to be 0.464 wt.%. In addition, a thorough heat transfer analysis was carried out to evaluate the performance of pristine RT-18 and nano-RT-18, and the results showed that nano-RT18 performed better during charging and discharging than pristine RT-18. Overall, the findings from this study suggest that the developed novel graphene nanoplatelets based PCM exhibit promising characteristics, positioning them as a viable and efficient solution for low-temperature thermal energy storage applications, particularly in challenging environments such as Arctic regions.