Evaluation of Phase Change Materials for Personal Cooling Applications

Journal article (2021)

Authors

L.P.J. Teunissen Emerging Materials - , Sustainable Design Engineering

E.S. Janssen Student

J. Schootstra Student

L. Plaude Sustainable Design Engineering , Emerging Materials -

K.M.B. Jansen Emerging Materials - , Sustainable Design Engineering

Research Group

Emerging Materials () (TU Delft)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X211053007

PCM Phase change material Cooling power Cooling garment Hotplate

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http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:282e1bcb-b2cc-4a81-abf3-63d3f243e28b

Published Date

2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Department

Sustainable Design Engineering

Research Group

Emerging Materials

Abstract

Eleven phase change materials (PCMs) for cooling humans in heat-stressed conditions were evaluated for their cooling characteristics. Effects of packaging material and segmentation were also investigated. Sample packs with a different type PCM (water- and oil-based PCMs, cooling gels, inorganic salts) or different packaging (aluminum, TPU, TPU + neoprene) were investigated on a hotplate. Cooling capacity, duration, and power were determined. Secondly, a PCM pack with hexagon compartments was compared to an unsegmented version with similar content. Cooling power decreased whereas cooling duration increased with increasing melting temperature. The water-based PCMs showed a >2x higher cooling power than other PCMs, but were relatively short-lived. The flexible gels and salts did not demonstrate a phase change plateau in cooling power, compromising their cooling potential. Using a TPU or aluminum packaging was indifferent. Adding neoprene considerably extended cooling duration, while decreasing power. Segmentation has practical benefits, but substantially lowered contact area and therefore cooling power.

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