Investigation of the Effect of Copper and Aluminiumoxide Nanoparticleson the Thermal Energy Storage Capability of Phase Change Material

Solar energy is a desirable type of renewable energies. However, it should be stored due to the sun radiation discontinuity. Phase-change materials (PCMs) store the thermal energy through their phase transitions, and the optimization of their thermal properties leads to more efficient thermal storage. In this study, paraffin wax was used as a PCM and aluminum oxide, and copper nanoparticles were used to improve its thermal properties. The morphology of the nanocomposites was studied with Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). Experiments were conducted in a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with three main factors, including: the weight percentage of nanoparticles (three levels), the type of nanoparticles (two levels), and the size of the nanoparticles (three levels), and pure Paraffin wax as a control sample. The melting point and the latent heat of each sample were measured with differential scanning calorimetery (DSC). The results showed that by an increase in nanoparticles concentration, the melting point of nanocomposites decreased slightly. On the other hand, the type and size of nanoparticles had no significant effect on the melting point. The addition of nanoparticles increased the latent heat of nanocomposites noteworthy in an optimal concentration. With a decrease in the nanoparticles size, the latent heat of nanocomposites increased. The nanocomposite sample which was filled with copper nanoparticle at the concentration and size of 1% and 30 nm respectively, had the highest latent heat.