Phase Change Materials Installation
Given good thermal contact, the PCM begins to solidify and melt at a specified temperature. In practice, a thin container of good thermal conductivity is not always possible. In such cases the following factors come into play:
- Thickness of container
- Thermal conductivity of container
- Movement of medium (air, water, oil) around the container
- Rate of heat transfer between inside / outside
- Temperature differential between PCM and the environment
- Amount of heat being generated in the environment
Installation of PCM should take into account good air circulation to allow air above the surface of the PCM container to be removed efficiently and sufficient air conditioning/free cooling to ensure recharging of PCM after it has changed its phase to liquid state.
