Heat Transfer and Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage and Thermal Management Applications

储存来自可持续能源的热能（例如，太阳能）或回收工业过程中的废热在面临不断增长的能源需求和气候变化挑战的世界中具有非常重要的意义。此外，有效的热管理对于提高许多能源系统的效率和可靠性至关重要，例如蒸汽和燃气轮机、核反应堆以及海上石油和天然气生产系统中的海底管道。由于具有高的熔化潜热，相变材料（PCM）可以在熔化（或固化）过程中吸收（或释放）大量的热能，同时保持几乎恒定的温度。这些特征使得PCM在热能储存和热管理系统中具有吸引力。然而，相变材料的低导热性和过冷问题限制了其实际应用。 该研究计划旨在通过多尺度方法应对这些挑战。建议将具有高导热率的纳米颗粒添加到基础PCM中以增加其总体导热率。纳米颗粒还可以用作成核剂，其可以减少或消除过冷问题。纳米增强相变材料（NPCMs）将与宏观结构集成，以进一步增强传热。将开发一个具有这种多尺度增强功能的实验装置，用于太阳能热能储存，以及海底管道的新隔热技术。将进行数学建模和实验研究，以更好地了解NPCM的凝固和熔化过程，并实现各种热能存储和热管理系统的优化设计。 该研究项目的实验数据和预测工具将为开发具有更高效率和更低成本的潜热热能存储和热管理系统提供有价值的见解。可再生能源的热能储存将在预计500亿美元的储能市场中占据重要份额，并为全球节能和环境保护做出巨大贡献。此外，本研究中提出的新隔热技术可以显着提高海底石油和天然气生产线的安全操作，并有助于加拿大和全球海上能源行业的持续增长。

Storage of thermal energy from sustainable energy sources (e.g., solar) or recovery of waste heat in industrial processes has great importance in a world facing challenges of growing energy demand and climate change. Also, effective thermal management is critical for the improvement of efficiency and reliability of many energy systems, such as steam and gas turbines, nuclear reactors, and subsea pipelines in offshore oil and gas production systems. With a high latent heat of fusion, a phase change material (PCM) can absorb (or release) significant amounts of thermal energy during melting (or solidification) processes while it maintains a nearly constant temperature. These features make PCMs attractive in thermal energy storage and thermal management systems. However, the practical applications of PCMs have been limited due to the low thermal conductivity and subcooling problems. This research program aims to address these challenges with a multi-scale approach. Nanoparticles with a high thermal conductivity are proposed to be added into a base PCM to increase its overall thermal conductivity. The nanoparticles may also serve as nucleating agents that could reduce or eliminate the subcooling problem. The nano-enhanced PCMs (NPCMs) will be integrated with macroscale structures for further heat transfer enhancement. An experimental unit with this multi-scale enhancement will be developed for solar thermal energy storage, as well as new thermal insulation techniques for subsea pipelines. Both mathematical modelling and experimental investigations will be conducted to better understand the solidification and melting processes of the NPCMs, and to achieve optimal design of various thermal energy storage and thermal management systems. The experimental data and predictive tools from this research program will provide valuable insight into the development of latent heat thermal energy storage and thermal management systems with higher efficiency and reduced cost. Storage of thermal energy from renewable sources will gain significant share in a projected $50 billion energy storage market, and greatly contribute to the global effort of energy conservation and environmental protection. Also, the new thermal insulation technique proposed in this research may significantly improve safety operations of subsea oil and gas production lines and help the continuous growth of the offshore energy industry in Canada and worldwide.