The Modification of Thermal Conductivity of Phase Change Material Using Nano Metal-Oxide Particles

The phase change materials (PCM) based cooling system have gained recent popularity with PV module temperature (TPV) reduction. PCM is an effective thermal energy storage material with the activation of latent heat capacity. Its low heat conductivity has been discovered in several studies. In this study, PCM is chosen to mix with nanoparticles to enhance its thermal conductivity and performance. For an ambient temperature of 38, it is suggested that the melting temperature (Tmelt) of PCM should be between 41 and 44 °C. Nanoparticle composited PCM (nc-PCM) are generated by mixing lauric acid (LA) with three different types of nanoparticles, including aluminum oxide (Al2O3), copper oxide (CuO), and magnesium oxide (MgO) in the following proportions: 100:0, 99:1, 98:2, 94:6, 92:8 and 90:10. It has been shown that the melting points (Tmelt) of the studied nc-PCMs are between 41.18 and 42.47 °C and thermal conductivity increases. According to the findings, the best balance between latent heat of fusion and thermal conductivity should be at 6% nanoparticle. Finally, it is expected that employing these three nc-PCM to reduce the PV module's temperature will enhance PV efficiency.