Phase change thermotropic materials have been proposed as a low cost method to provide passive overheat protection for polymer solar thermal absorbers. One challenge to their development is control of the size of the phase change particles dispersed within the matrix. Here we explore encapsulation as a means to resolve this challenge with a focus on the selection of materials, including the encapsulating shell, to achieve desirable optical behavior. Hydroxystearic acid (HSA) particles in a matrix of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is down selected from candidate materials based on its optical properties and the melt temperature of the dispersed phase. The optical properties (normal-hemispherical transmittance, reflectance, and absorptance) as a function of the properties of the encapsulation shell and the particle volume fraction are predicted at a wavelength of 589 nm using a Monte Carlo ray tracing model. A range of shell relative refractive indices, from 0.95 to 1, and thicknesses, up to 35 nm, can be employed to achieve greater than 80% transmittance in the clear state and greater than 50% reflectance in the translucent state.
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September 2015
Research-Article
Numerical Evaluation of the Optical Properties of Encapsulated Phase Change Particles for Thermotropic Materials
Adam Gladen,
Adam Gladen
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: glad0092@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
,111 Church Street S.E.
,Minneapolis, MN 55455
e-mail: glad0092@umn.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Susan Mantell,
Susan Mantell
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: smantell@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
,111 Church Street S.E.
,Minneapolis, MN 55455
e-mail: smantell@umn.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Jane Davidson
Jane Davidson
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: jhd@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
,111 Church Street S.E.
,Minneapolis, MN 55455
e-mail: jhd@umn.edu
1Corresponding author.
Search for other works by this author on:
Adam Gladen
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: glad0092@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
,111 Church Street S.E.
,Minneapolis, MN 55455
e-mail: glad0092@umn.edu
Susan Mantell
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: smantell@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
,111 Church Street S.E.
,Minneapolis, MN 55455
e-mail: smantell@umn.edu
Jane Davidson
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: jhd@umn.edu
University of Minnesota
,111 Church Street S.E.
,Minneapolis, MN 55455
e-mail: jhd@umn.edu
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF THERMAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS. Manuscript received October 3, 2014; final manuscript received January 26, 2015; published online March 31, 2015. Assoc. Editor: Mohamed S. El-Genk.
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl. Sep 2015, 7(3): 031002 (8 pages)
Published Online: September 1, 2015
Article history
Received:
October 3, 2014
Revision Received:
January 26, 2015
Online:
March 31, 2015
Citation
Gladen, A., Mantell, S., and Davidson, J. (September 1, 2015). "Numerical Evaluation of the Optical Properties of Encapsulated Phase Change Particles for Thermotropic Materials." ASME. J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl. September 2015; 7(3): 031002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4029952
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