Thermal Characterization of Structured Porous Materials and Phase Change Composites for Heat Sink Applications

Heat sinks are commonly used in electronic devices to dissipate heat from electronic circuits. Phase change materials (PCMs) offer a viable solution for storing thermal energy during peak loads, helping to delay temperature spikes and maintain the heat sink within safe operating limits. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the energy storage and thermal characteristics of the PCMs used in the heat sink. The heat sink comprises a structured porous material (SPM), and the PCMs used in the analysis are Paraffin wax and Erythritol. The thermal analysis conducted on the heat sink composed of SPMs integrated with PCMs enabled the determination of thermal characteristics. The thermal characteristics evaluated from FEA analysis have shown superior heat absorption properties of Erythritol as compared to Paraffin wax during the initial phases. At 50 s after the simulation, the heat absorbed by Erythritol is 89% higher than Paraffin wax, whereas at higher stages, Paraffin wax exhibited higher heat absorption characteristics. At higher time intervals, i.e., 250 s after running the simulation, the Paraffin wax exhibited 49% higher heat absorption capacity as compared to Erythritol. This behavior of both PCM materials can be attributed to different specific heat capacities and latent heat of fusion at different temperatures. The higher thermal conductivity of Erythritol enables it to absorb higher heat initially, which makes it highly effective for short-duration thermal applications. The Paraffin wax has a higher latent heat of fusion and, therefore, stores more thermal energy for prolonged periods, which makes it suitable for applications demanding sustained thermal management. The study findings have suggested that for applications demanding rapid heat absorption, the Erythritol PCM is the best option, whereas the Paraffin wax is suited for applications demanding a longer duration of heat storage.