Response of Phase-Change-Material-Filled Porous Foams Under Transient Heating Conditions

Thermal energy storage using phase-change materials is a common method to cool systems passively. These phase-change materials often have low thermal conductivity, compromising their effectiveness in cooling. One solution commonly employed is to fill thermally conductive foams with phase-change materials to increase overall thermal conductivity. These systems are often designed to use solid/liquid phase change from the phase-change material to control a system's temperature for as long as possible. However, the transient response of the thermal storage system has not been fully explored, particularly for aerospace applications in which the conditions of the surrounding environment are rarely steady. Consequently, an experimental study focusing on changing boundary conditions was developed, the results of which are reported here, and recommendations on the use of different foams for certain conditions are provided. The experimental results are compared to an existing numerical model to determine its predictive value.