Title

Graphite Foams Infiltrated with Phase Change Materials as Alternative Materials for Space and Terrestrial Thermal Energy Storage Applications

Author(s)

Khalid Lafdi, University of DaytonFollow
Osama Mesalam Mesalhy, University of Dayton
Ahmed Elgafy, University of Dayton

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2008

Publication Source

Carbon

Abstract

In this work, a numerical study is proposed to investigate and predict the thermal performance of graphite foams infiltrated with phase change materials, PCMs, for space and terrestrial energy storage systems. The numerical model is based on a volume averaging technique while a finite volume method has been used to discretize the heat diffusion equation. A line-by-line solver based on tri-diagonal matrix algorithm has been used to iteratively solve the algebraic discretization equations. Because of the high thermal conductivity of graphite foams, the PCM-foam system thermal performance has been improved significantly. For space applications, the average value of the output power of the new energy storage system has been increased by more than eight times. While for terrestrial applications, the average output power using carbon foam of porosity 97% is about five times greater than that for using pure PCM.

Inclusive pages

159–168

ISBN/ISSN

0008-6223

Copyright

Copyright © 2008, Elsevier

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

46

Peer Reviewed

yes

Issue

1

eCommons Citation

Lafdi, Khalid; Mesalhy, Osama Mesalam; and Elgafy, Ahmed, "Graphite Foams Infiltrated with Phase Change Materials as Alternative Materials for Space and Terrestrial Thermal Energy Storage Applications" (2008). Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications. 52.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cme_fac_pub/52