Advance Electrohydrodynamic Enhance Phase Change Thermal Storage

This research is motivated by a critical need for novel devices and technologies to harvest and store “lost” thermal energy energy at a time when societies around the world are facing surging energy demand. Solid-liquid phase-change materials (PCMs) are attractive solutions as they have a relatively high thermal capacity because of the latent heat of fusion. However, the predictive capability for design and performance optimization including transient control is not readily available primarily due to complexities related to the interaction of the phases and geometric topology. Energy charging time and cell size optimization are two areas that can dramatically advance enhancement and optimization as they significantly affect the cost and economic feasibility of the system.
The objective of this proposed research program is to develop expertise in new heat exchanger design and enhanced thermal storage solutions by establishing electrohydrodynamics (EHD) as the mechanism of enhancement and intelligent control. The proposed research will expand upon fundamental studies spearheaded by the researcher towards the development of prototype EHD heat exchangers and storage devices targeted for waste heat recovery applications.

Faculty Supervisor:

James Cotton

Student:

Partner:

Tohoku University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Clean Technology; Energy and Utilities; Aerospace

University:

McMaster University

Program: