Volumetric quantification of melting and solidification of phase change materials by in-situ X-ray computed tomography

Solid-liquid phase transitions in phase change materials (PCM) usually exhibit a complex dynamics, which critically determines the performance of latent heat thermal energy storage systems (LHTES). Experimental approaches enabling to track the dynamics of the entire PCM solid-liquid phase transition are thus crucial to provide relevant data for PCM material development and to validate PCM-models used to design efficient LHTES. In this work, we show how in-situ dynamic X-ray computed tomography (XCT) can be used to track the dynamics of the solid-liquid phase transition in PCMs. The method based on time-lapse XCT is illustrated based on data collected for two PCMs (ice/water and calcium chloride hexahydrate) during melting and solidification processes, respectively. Key enabler of the method is the density difference between solid and liquid PCM, which facilitates a clear identification of the solid and liquid PCM phases and, thus, tracking their spatial evolution in time. Analysis of the transient liquid fraction curves reveals a volumetric melting rate of 0.55 (% vol)/min for ice with a total melting time of 165 min, whereas calcium chloride hexahydrate undergoes a partial solidification at -0.30 (% vol)/min, with an overall volumetric shrinkage of 12.7 %. Furthermore, an image-based approach to quantify the time-dependent liquid volume fraction curve from the sequences of XCT imaging data, is presented. The extracted liquid volume fraction curves capture the entire dynamics of the solid-liquid phase transition and can either be directly inserted in the mass and energy balance equations of currently existing PCM models to predict LHTES performance or used for PCM-models validation.

Automated summary

Solid-liquid phase transitions in phase change materials (PCM) have complex dynamics, which affect the performance of latent heat thermal energy storage systems (LHTES). This study demonstrates the use of in-situ dynamic X-ray computed tomography (XCT) to track the phase transition dynamics in PCMs. The method relies on the density difference between solid and liquid PCM phases, allowing for the identification and spatial evolution tracking of these phases over time. Analysis of the data reveals the melting rate and time for ice/water PCM, as well as the solidification rate and volumetric shrinkage for calcium chloride hexahydrate PCM. Additionally, an image-based approach is presented for quantifying the time-dependent liquid volume fraction curves, which can be used in PCM models for performance prediction or validation.