Date of Award

Fall 12-2018

Access Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Committee Chair

Sandra K.S. Boetcher

First Committee Member

Patrick Currier

Second Committee Member

Rafael Rodriguez

Abstract

Phase-change materials (PCMs) are a useful alternative to more traditional methods of thermal management of Li-ion batteries in electric or hybrid-electric vehicles. PCMs are materials which absorb large amounts of latent heat and undergo solid-to-liquid phase change at near-constant temperature. The goal of this thesis is to experimentally investigate the thermal properties of a novel shape-stabilized PCM/HDPE composite extruded filament. The extruded filament can then be used in a 3D printer for custom PCM/HDPE shapes. These custom PCM/HDPE shapes can be used to help reduce weight, energy consumption, and complexity of the thermal management of the ESS. The PCM used in the study is PureTemp PCM42. PCM42 is an organic-based material that melts around 42_C. Three PCM/HDPE mixtures were investigated (all percentages by mass): 80% HDPE/20% PCM (80/20), 70% HDPE/30% PCM (70/30), and 60% HDPE/40% PCM (60/40). A Filabot extruder was used to melt, mix, and extrude the PCM/HDPE composite filament. A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to measure the effective heat storage capacity at the operating conditions of the ESS. A scanning electron microscope was used to visually validate the mixing and bonding of the PCM and HDPE.

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