A TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device

Abstract

The invention discloses a TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device, comprising: two experimental modules, two groups of temperature control modules and a data acquisition unit, wherein the two experimental modules are arranged in the same experimental box, and different TEC-driven phase change materials are filled inside respectively; the two groups of temperature control modules are arranged corresponding to the two experimental modules, and the data acquisition unit comprises two thermocouples and a data acquisition instrument, and the two thermocouples are respectively arranged inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules. The invention utilizes different temperature curves of different phase change materials in the phase change process, collects the temperature changes of the phase change materials in the two experimental modules in the whole phase change process in real time through the thermocouples, and then receives and draws the temperature curves of the phase change materials corresponding to the two experimental modules in the phase change process by the data acquisition instrument, thereby evaluating the performance and application potential of the phase change material according to key parameters such as the phase change temperature, the phase change latent heat, and the cyclicity of the phase change material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of phase change heat storage, in particular to a TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device. Background Art

[0002] Phase change material is a material that can change phase when the temperature changes and absorb or release a large amount of latent heat. With the increasing demand for efficient energy conversion and sustainable energy, the research and application of phase change energy storage technology has received increasing attention. Phase change energy storage material refers to a material that changes the state of matter with the change of temperature and can provide phase change latent heat. The process of phase change energy storage material changing from one state to another is called phase change process, during which the phase change energy storage material will absorb or release a large amount of phase change latent heat. Typical engineering applications of phase change heat storage technology include: aerospace thermal protection system, power peak regulation, modern agricultural greenhouse, electronic component heat dissipation, solar heat storage heating, temperature control textiles, industrial waste heat recovery and building energy-saving flooring. Phase change heat storage requires the selection of suitable phase change materials, which should have a large enough phase change latent heat to store a large amount of energy during phase change, and the thermal conductivity should be low enough to reduce heat conduction loss. In order to have a deeper understanding of the performance characteristics of phase change materials and improve their heat storage and heat release efficiency, it is particularly important to develop a special experimental device.

[0003] Most of the existing phase change material heat storage and release experimental devices provide a cold source or heat source for the phase change material by passing cold water or hot water into the copper tube. The phase change material changes from exothermic solidification to endothermic melting or from endothermic melting to exothermic solidification. The water temperature can only be changed by a water bath device to change the state of the phase change material. Not only is the response time of the state change long, but the operation of the change process is also cumbersome. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device, which can intuitively observe the phase change temperature point and deeply understand the key parameters of the phase change material such as phase change temperature, phase change latent heat, and cyclicity, so as to more accurately evaluate the performance and application potential of the phase change material.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is:

[0006] A TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device comprises: two experimental modules, namely a first experimental module and a second experimental module, the two experimental modules are arranged in the same experimental box, the two experimental modules have independent outer shells, and the outer shells of the two experimental modules are respectively filled with different TEC-driven phase change materials; two groups of temperature control modules are arranged corresponding to the two experimental modules, and each group of temperature control modules includes two temperature control units, the two temperature control units are respectively arranged on the two sides of the corresponding outer shell, and the two temperature control units are symmetrically arranged, and each temperature control unit includes: a temperature controller, which works with an external power supply; a TEC module, which is connected to the temperature controller and embedded in the side of the outer shell, and is used to control the phase change temperature of the phase change material; a data acquisition unit, which is located in the experimental box, comprises a data acquisition instrument and at least two thermocouples, the two thermocouples are respectively connected to the data acquisition instrument, and are respectively arranged in the outer shells of the two experimental modules, and are used to collect temperature change information inside the outer shell.

[0007] Furthermore, the TEC module includes: a TEC refrigeration sheet, which is wrapped with a heat insulation sheet on the outside, the TEC refrigeration sheet is embedded in the side of the outer shell through the heat insulation sheet and is connected to the temperature controller, the TEC refrigeration sheet is provided with a first TEC fin on the side inside the outer shell, and the first TEC fin is inserted into the phase change material, and the side outside the outer shell is provided with a second TEC fin, the first TEC fin, the heat insulation sheet and the second TEC fin are fixedly connected by screws; the first TEC fin and the second TEC fin have the same working principle, both of which increase the heat exchange area and accelerate the transfer of cold and heat. The heat insulation sheet is used to reduce the heat exchange between the TEC refrigeration sheet and the outside world and reduce energy loss; the heat supply / dissipation component is arranged on the side of the first TEC fin away from the TEC refrigeration sheet.

[0008] Furthermore, the heat supply / dissipation component is selected from one of an air cooling component and a water cooling component.

[0009] Furthermore, the air cooling assembly includes: a mounting seat, which is arranged on a side of the first TEC fin away from the TEC cooling sheet; and a fan, which is arranged in the mounting seat.

[0010] Furthermore, the water cooling component is a water cooler, and the water cooling end of the water cooler is arranged on a surface of the first TEC fin away from the TEC refrigeration sheet.

[0011] Furthermore, the phase change material inside the outer shell of the first experimental module is paraffin, and the phase change material inside the outer shell of the second experimental module is paraffin with foam metal inserted. Paraffin with foam metal inserted can accelerate the conduction of heat during the phase change process, making it easier to compare the effect of heat transfer capacity on the temperature curve.

[0012] Furthermore, there are a plurality of foam metals inserted in the paraffin with foam metals, the foam metals are in the form of rectangular parallelepiped, and the plurality of foam metals are evenly arranged.

[0013] Furthermore, considering the influence of the symmetry of the phase change material and the length, width and height of the paraffin on the temperature measurement, the temperature probes of the thermocouples in the experimental device were arranged, and a plurality of the thermocouples were provided inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules, and the plurality of the thermocouples inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules were arranged respectively along the length, width and height directions of the phase change material filled inside.

[0014] Furthermore, the surface of the heat insulation sheet is sticky. After the first TEC fin is inserted into the phase change material, the TEC module is tightly fixed on the phase change material through the sticky surface of the heat insulation sheet.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] 1. The present invention applies TEC semiconductor refrigeration sheet to the phase change material heat storage and release experimental device, uses TEC to directly drive the phase change material to store and release heat, and realizes the rapid conversion of cold source and heat source by switching the positive and negative poles of the power supply, thereby shortening the response time of this process. The process is simple and rapid. Two experimental modules are arranged in the experimental device. Different phase change materials are filled in the two experimental modules, and the temperature changes of the phase change materials in the two experimental modules in the whole phase change process are collected in real time by thermocouples. Then, the data acquisition instrument receives and draws the temperature curves of the phase change materials corresponding to the two experimental modules in the phase change process, compares and analyzes the temperature curves of the two experimental modules, and intuitively observes the phase change temperature point, which refers to the temperature at which the material changes from one phase to another. The key parameters such as the phase change temperature, phase change latent heat, and cyclicity of the phase change material are deeply understood, thereby more accurately evaluating the performance and application potential of the phase change material.

[0017] 2. The TEC module of the present invention has a compact design structure and is integrated into the experimental device. When in use, the heat transfer direction of the TEC module can be quickly changed by switching the positive and negative poles of the TEC module to connect to the power supply, so that the heat storage and heat release processes of the phase change material can be converted in a short time, thereby improving the flexibility and response speed of the system. Moreover, under different working environments and temperature requirements, the heat storage and heat release processes of the phase change material can be converted by switching the positive and negative poles of the TEC module to connect to the power supply. This not only makes the operation more convenient, but also enhances the environmental adaptability and wide application of the system.

[0018] 3. During the heat release process of the phase change material of the present invention, the TEC module transfers the released heat to the system or area that needs to be heated, thereby realizing energy recovery and reuse, and improving the energy efficiency ratio of the system.

[0019] 4. The present invention arranges and lays out multiple thermocouples in each experimental module according to the symmetry, length, width, height and other dimensions of the phase change material, fully considering the influence of the symmetry and size of the phase change material on temperature measurement, and more accurately reflects the temperature changes at different positions of the phase change material.

[0020] 5. The TEC module of the present invention adopts both wind and water for heat dissipation or heating, and can be switched according to different experimental scenarios. When the TEC module adopts wind for heat dissipation or heating, the system structure is simple and the cost is low. The fan can accelerate the flow of surrounding air, thereby increasing the heat exchange rate. The fan speed can also be adjusted as needed to adapt to different scenario requirements. When the TEC module adopts water for heat dissipation or heating, the thermal conductivity of water is better than that of air. For scenarios with high heat flux density, the water cooling solution is more advantageous. The water cooling system can quickly take away the heat. The specific heat capacity of water is large. The water system can better control the temperature fluctuations during the heat dissipation process, thereby improving the temperature stability of the system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a front view of the structural schematic diagram of the first experimental module of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a front view of the structural schematic diagram of the second experimental module of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a top view of the structural schematic diagram of the second experimental module of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the temperature control unit and the air cooling component of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the temperature control unit and the water cooling component of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement structure of multiple thermocouples inside the outer shell of the experimental module of the present invention.

[0028] Among them, 1. Experimental box, 2. First experimental module, 21. Paraffin, 3. Second experimental module, 31. Paraffin with foam metal inserted, 311. Foam metal, 5. Temperature control unit, 6. Temperature controller, 7. TEC module, 71. TEC refrigeration sheet, 72. Thermal insulation sheet, 73. First TEC fin, 74. Second TEC fin, 8. Air cooling assembly, 81. Mounting seat, 82. Fan, 9. Water cooling assembly, 91. Water cooler, 92. Pump, 93. Water pipeline, 10. Data acquisition unit, 101. Thermocouple, 102. Data acquisition instrument. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Combine the following Figures 1 to 7 , the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0030] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features; in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0031] It should be noted that the circuit connections involved in the present invention all adopt conventional circuit connection methods and do not involve any innovation.

[0032] Example

[0033] TEC semiconductor cooling sheet, also called thermoelectric cooling sheet, uses the Peltier effect of semiconductor materials. When direct current passes through a couple formed by two different semiconductor materials in series, heat is absorbed and released at both ends of the couple, respectively, to achieve the purpose of cooling or heating. TEC has the advantages of small size, no noise, no vibration, and fast response speed. It has been widely used in the fields of microelectronic heat dissipation, medical equipment, aerospace, etc. This embodiment applies TEC to the phase change material heat storage and release experimental device, which can not only achieve precise temperature control and improve experimental efficiency and accuracy, but also realize the rapid conversion of cold source and heat source, shortening the response time of this process.

[0034] A TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device of this embodiment includes: two experimental modules, two sets of temperature control modules and a data acquisition unit 10, such as Figure 1 As shown, the two experimental modules are respectively the first experimental module 2 and the second experimental module 3. The two experimental modules are arranged in the same experimental box 1. The two experimental modules have independent outer shells. The outer shells of the two experimental modules are respectively filled with different TEC-driven phase change materials. The temperature curves of the two experimental modules are compared by using different temperature curves of different phase change materials in the phase change process, so as to evaluate the performance and application potential of the phase change material according to key parameters such as phase change temperature, phase change latent heat, and cyclicity of the phase change material; two groups of temperature control modules are set corresponding to the two experimental modules, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 As shown, each group of temperature control modules includes two temperature control units 5, which are respectively arranged on the two sides of the corresponding outer shell, and the two temperature control units 5 are symmetrically arranged. Each temperature control unit 5 includes: a temperature controller 6 and a TEC module 7. The temperature controller 6 works by an external power supply; the TEC module 7 is connected to the temperature controller 6 and embedded in the side of the outer shell, and is used to control the phase change temperature of the phase change material. By switching the positive and negative poles of the TEC module 7 connected to the power supply, the heat transfer direction of the TEC module 7 is quickly changed, so that the heat storage and heat release processes of the phase change material are converted in a short time; as shown Figure 1 As shown, the data acquisition unit 10 is located in the experimental box 1, including a data acquisition instrument 102 and at least two thermocouples 101. The two thermocouples 101 are respectively connected to the data acquisition instrument 102 and are respectively arranged inside the outer shell of the two experimental modules, for collecting the temperature change information inside the outer shell. The temperature change of the phase change material in the two experimental modules during the entire phase change process is collected in real time by the thermocouple 101. The data acquisition instrument 102 then receives and draws the temperature curve of the phase change material corresponding to the two experimental modules during the phase change process. The temperature curves of the two experimental modules are compared and analyzed. The platform area in the drawn phase change process temperature curve corresponds to the release or absorption process of the phase change latent heat. The longer and flatter the platform area is, the greater the phase change latent heat is, and the stronger the heat storage and heat release capacity of the material is. In the multiple cycle tests of the phase change material of this embodiment, the phase change latent heat value should remain consistent or only change slightly, which indicates that the phase change material can still maintain good performance after multiple uses.

[0035] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the TEC module 7 includes: a TEC cooling sheet 71 and a heat supply / dissipation component. The TEC cooling sheet 71 is wrapped with a heat insulation sheet 72. The TEC cooling sheet 71 is embedded in the side of the outer shell through the heat insulation sheet 72 and is connected to the temperature controller 6. The TEC cooling sheet 71 is provided with a first TEC fin 73 on the side inside the outer shell, and the first TEC fin 73 is inserted into the phase change material. The side outside the outer shell is provided with a second TEC fin 74. The first TEC fin 73, the heat insulation sheet 72 and the second TEC fin 74 are fixedly connected by screws. The first TEC fin 73 and the second TEC fin 74 have the same working principle, both of which are to increase the heat exchange area and accelerate the transfer of cold and heat. The surface of the heat insulation sheet 72 is sticky. After the first TEC fin 73 is inserted into the phase change material, the TEC module 7 is tightly fixed on the phase change material through the sticky surface of the heat insulation sheet 72, which is used to reduce the heat exchange between the TEC cooling sheet 71 and the outside and reduce energy loss.

[0036] The heat supply / release component is arranged on the side of the first TEC fin 73 away from the TEC cooling plate 71. During the experiment, by switching the positive and negative poles of the TEC module 7 connected to the power supply, the transition of the heat storage and heat release process of the phase change material can be achieved. This not only makes the operation more convenient, but also enhances the environmental adaptability and wide application of the system.

[0037] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the heat supply / release component selects one of the air cooling component 8 or the water cooling component 9, and the TEC module 7 adopts wind and water solutions for heat dissipation or heating, which can be switched according to different experimental scenarios.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, the air cooling component 8 includes: a mounting seat 81 and a fan 82. The mounting seat 81 is arranged on the side of the first TEC fin 73 away from the TEC cooling sheet 71; the fan 82 is arranged in the mounting seat 81. When the TEC module 7 uses wind for heat dissipation or heating, the system structure is simple and the cost is low. After the fan 82 is powered on, it can accelerate the flow of surrounding air, thereby increasing the heat exchange rate. The rotation speed of the fan 82 can also be adjusted as needed to adapt to different scene requirements.

[0039] like Figure 6As shown, the water cooling component 9 is a water cooler 91, and the water cooling end of the water cooler 91 is arranged on the side of the first TEC fin 73 away from the TEC refrigeration plate 71. The cold water is driven by a pump 92 and enters the water cooler 91 through a water pipe 93 to achieve cooling of the hot end. When the TEC module 7 uses water for heat dissipation or heating, the thermal conductivity of water is better than that of air. For scenes with high heat flux density, the water cooling solution is more advantageous. The water cooling system can quickly take away the heat. The specific heat capacity of water is large. The water system can better control the temperature fluctuation during the heat dissipation process, thereby improving the temperature stability of the system.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the phase change material inside the outer shell of the first experimental module 2 is paraffin 21. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the phase change material inside the outer shell of the second experimental module 3 is paraffin 31 inserted with foam metal. The paraffin 31 inserted with foam metal can accelerate the conduction of heat or cold during the phase change process, which is convenient for comparing the influence of heat transfer capacity on the temperature curve.

[0041] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, there are a plurality of foam metals 311 inserted in the wax 31 with foam metals inserted, and the plurality of foam metals 311 are evenly arranged. The foam metals 311 are rectangular parallelepipeds.

[0042] In some embodiments, considering the influence of the symmetry of the phase change material, the length of the wax 21, the width of the wax 21, and the height of the wax 21 on the temperature measurement, the temperature probes of the thermocouple 101 are arranged in the experimental device in this embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, multiple thermocouples 101 are disposed inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules, and the multiple thermocouples 101 inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules are arranged along the length, width and height directions of the phase change materials filled inside them.

[0043] In some embodiments, according to actual experimental conditions, the number of TEC modules 7 is increased to increase the heat dissipation or heating area and improve the efficiency of heat transfer.

[0044] In some embodiments, high-precision PID control is introduced to automatically adjust the power output of the TEC module 7 according to the real-time temperature feedback of the phase change material to achieve a more accurate temperature control effect.

[0045] In some embodiments, in order to more intuitively display the temperature distribution inside the phase change material, infrared thermal imaging technology is used to perform visual monitoring of the experimental device.

[0046] The above disclosures are only several preferred specific embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Any changes that can be conceived by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device, characterized in that: include: Two experimental modules, namely a first experimental module (2) and a second experimental module (3), are arranged in the same experimental box (1), and both experimental modules have independent outer shells, and different TEC-driven phase change materials are respectively filled inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules; Two groups of temperature control modules are provided corresponding to the two experimental modules, and each group of temperature control modules includes two temperature control units (5), the two temperature control units (5) are respectively provided on two sides of the corresponding outer shell, and the two temperature control units (5) are symmetrically provided, and each temperature control unit (5) includes: a temperature controller (6) which is operated by an external power supply; and a TEC module (7) which is connected to the temperature controller (6) and embedded in the side of the outer shell and is used to control the phase change temperature of the phase change material; A data acquisition unit (10) is located in the experimental box (1), comprising a data acquisition instrument (102) and at least two thermocouples (101), wherein the two thermocouples (101) are respectively connected to the data acquisition instrument (102) and are respectively arranged inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules, and are used to collect temperature change information inside the outer shells; The TEC module (7) comprises: A TEC refrigeration sheet (71) is externally wrapped with a heat insulating sheet (72); the TEC refrigeration sheet (71) is embedded in the side surface of the outer shell through the heat insulating sheet (72) and is connected to the temperature controller (6); a first TEC fin (73) is provided on the side surface of the TEC refrigeration sheet (71) located inside the outer shell, and the first TEC fin (73) is inserted into the phase change material; a second TEC fin (74) is provided on the side surface located outside the outer shell; the first TEC fin (73), the heat insulating sheet (72) and the second TEC fin (74) are fixedly connected by screws; and the surface of the heat insulating sheet (72) is sticky; A heat supply / dissipation component, arranged on a surface of the first TEC fin (73) away from the TEC cooling sheet (71); The heat supply / dissipation component is selected from one of an air cooling component (8) and a water cooling component (9); The phase change material inside the outer shell of the first experimental module (2) is paraffin (21), and the phase change material inside the outer shell of the second experimental module (3) is paraffin (31) inserted with foam metal; There are a plurality of foam metals (311) inserted in the wax (31) with foam metals inserted therein, the foam metals (311) are rectangular parallelepipeds, and the plurality of foam metals (311) are evenly arranged; A plurality of the thermocouples (101) are provided inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules, and the plurality of the thermocouples (101) inside the outer shells of the two experimental modules are arranged respectively along the length, width and height directions of the phase change material filled inside the respective inner shells; During the test, the temperature change of the phase change materials in the two experimental modules during the entire phase change process is collected in real time by means of a thermocouple (101), and then the temperature curves of the phase change materials in the two experimental modules corresponding to the phase change process are received and plotted by a data acquisition instrument (102). The temperature curves of the two experimental modules are compared and analyzed, and the platform area in the plotted temperature curve of the phase change process corresponds to the release or absorption process of the phase change latent heat, so that the performance and application potential of the phase change material are evaluated based on the phase change temperature, phase change latent heat and cyclicity of the phase change material.

2. A TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air cooling component (8) comprises: A mounting seat (81) is arranged on a surface of the first TEC fin (73) away from the TEC cooling plate (71); A fan (82) is arranged in the mounting seat (81).

3. A TEC-driven phase change material heat storage and release experimental device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water cooling component (9) is a water cooler (91), and a water cooling end of the water cooler (91) is arranged on a surface of the first TEC fin (73) away from the TEC refrigeration plate (71).

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