Transitional Phenomena on Phase Change Materials

¹ AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Energy and Fuels, Department of Thermal and Fluid Flow Machines, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30 - 059 Krakow, Poland
² Kielce University of Technology, Department of Mechanics, Division of Tribology and Operation Materials, al. Tysiąclecia Państwa Polskiego 7, Building B, 25 – 314 Kielce, Poland

^a Corresponding author: T.M. Wójcik: tmwojcik@agh.edu.pl

Published online: 25 March 2014

Abstract

One of the most significant problem with technology development is transferring of large heat fluxes, which requires constant heat transfer temperature (in the specified temperature range). This problem concern mainly the nuclear energetics, space technologies, military technologies and most of all electronics containing integrated circuits with very large scale of integrations. Intensive heat transfer and thermal energy storage are possible by the use of phase change materials (PCMs). In the paper there are presented preliminary results of research on the use of liquid-gas (L-G PCMs) and solid-solid phase change materials (S-S PCMs). For L-G PCMs the boiling characteristics were determined by increasing and decreasing the heat flux, which for certain sets of structural parameters of the heating surface and the physical properties of the liquid induce a variety of forms of transitional phenomena. Thermal energy storage is much more effective when using PCMs than sensible heat.