Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Materials: A Novel Approach to Sustainable Refrigeration and Thermal Energy Storage
Abstract
This research investigates the utilization of phase change materials (PCMs) (eutectic mixture) integrated with graphene nanoparticles to enhance the thermal performance and mitigate temperature fluctuations in refrigeration systems during power outages. This improvement provides a sustainable solution for maintaining temperature control during power interruptions, which is vital for applications like food preservation, pharmaceutical storage, and climate regulation. The results indicate promising enhancements in system performance, including improved temperature regulation, reduced energy consumption, and minimized temperature fluctuations during operation. The synergistic effects of combining eutectic PCM with graphene nanoparticles are analyzed to explain their role in enhancing heat transfer properties and overall system efficiency. The study demonstrates that a eutectic mixture of 25% KCl, 15% NaCl, 15% Na2SO3, and 1% graphene (Nano-PCM) with water effectively maintains temperatures of refrigeration storage cabinet between 7 to 9°C for 16 to 17 hours. In contrast, without this PCM and nano-PCM mixture, the system only maintains a temperature of about 26°C for the same duration. The findings offer insights into the potential of utilizing PCM-graphene composites in refrigeration applications, providing a sustainable and efficient solution for cooling systems. This research also highlights the preparation of nano-phase change material with phase route method. Also with the help of machine learning algorithm accuracy of model is checked during different combinations of NPCM mixture.