Numerical Study of the Transient Melting Of Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Material

Abstract

In this study, a non-dimensional parametric numerical study of heat transfer during the melting process within an enclosure filled with a phase change material (PCM) was numerically performed. The enclosure contains a flush mounted heat source mounted on a substrate in the center of its bottom wall. All the enclosure walls are considered adiabatic. The heat source simulates an electronic component (microprocessor) and the substrate acts as a motherboard. Attention was paid to reveal the effect of dispersing copper nanoparticles within the PCM on the thermal and hydrodynamic behavior of the optimized heat sink. For this, a two-dimensional mathematical model based on the conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy was developed. The governing equations were integrated and discretized using the finite volume method. The SIMPLE algorithm was adopted for velocity-pressure coupling. After optimization, copper nanoparticles are dispersed inside the PCM enclosure to check their ability to improve the heat source working time and the melting fraction. The combination of copper nanoparticles and conducting wall (substrate) are tested to improve the heat transfer within PCMs characterized by their low thermal conductivity. Based on the asymptotic computational fluid dynamics technique, correlations were used to predict the maximum safe operating time and the plateau temperature given their practical and technical importance in the manufacture of passive coolers.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hamza Faraji

Hamza Faraji is a PhD student at the Faculty of Sciences Ain Chok, Physics Department, Materials Physics, Microelectronics, Automatic and Heat Transfer Laboratory, Casablanca, Morocco. After obtaining a Master's degree from ENS Casablanca in 2017, he is now preparing his doctoral thesis in heat transfer. His research focus is on the cooling of electronic components by phase change materials based heat sink and nanoparticles.

Mustapha Faraji

Mustapha Faraji is a professor in the Physics Department of Faculty of Sciences Ain Chok, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco. He is an ex-engineer graduated from ENIM Rabat in 1995. He obtained his PhD in mechanics and energetics from Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech in 2010. He is a member of the Moroccan Association of Heat Transfer AMT. His research interests are on phase change, cooling electronic components, and heat transfer in nanofluids.

Mustapha El Alami

Mustapha El Alami is a professor in the Physics Department of Faculty of Sciences Ain Chok, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco. He is director of the Materials Physics, Microelectronics, Automatic and Heat Transfer Laboratory. He obtained his PhD in 1994 at INSA Toulouse in energy systems of the material process. His research is on building energy efficiency, phase change and cooling electronic components.