A phase-change material (PCM) calculator provides PCM material options to help address temporary thermal storage needs with temperature ranges of 14 to 185°F (-10 to 85°C). The online tool, developed by Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc. (ACT), Lancaster, Pa., will provide up to three different PCM options suitable for your application based on conditions input by the user.
To determine appropriate PCM materials, the user inputs a few simple parameters:
- Initial temperature of the heat source.
- Final temperature (or PCM melt temperature).
- Amount of power the PCM heat sinks needs to be able to absorb.
- Amount of time the PCM heat sink needs to absorb the power while still maintaining the final temperature.
- PCM heat sink base dimensions.
The calculator will offer solutions, including the volume, mass and energy stored in latent heat for each of the phase-change materials. These results are graphed to show the expected transient performance. Results are approximate because the calculator assumes a general fin thickness.
Click here to use the calculator.
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