TY - JOUR
TI - Preparation of carbon nanotube-based flexible phase change films and their application in thermophotovoltaic conversion
AU - Chang Zhijuan
AU - Luan Linlin
AU - Hou Jiawen
AU - Wu Xuehong
AU - Lv Cai
AU - Liu Yong
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2025
VL - 29
IS - 5
SP - 4117
EP - 4128
PT - Article
AB - With the growing demand for renewable energy, the application of thermophoto-voltaic conversion materials in energy storage and conversion has attracted significant attention. To enhance thermophotovoltaic conversion efficiency and promote the development of energy storage technologies, this study introduces modified carbon nanotubes (CNT) to improve the thermal conductivity of flexible phase change films made from polylactic acid and polyethylene glycol, and investigates their shape stability, phase change properties, thermal conductivity, and thermophotovoltaic conversion performance. The results show that the CNT modified films exhibit excellent shape stability and flexibility, maintaining their shape above the melting temperature of polyethylene glycol and recovering to their original form upon cooling. As the CNT content increases, the thermal conductivity of the films significantly improves, with the 7% CNT composite film showing a 158% increase in thermal conductivity, although the latent heat value decreases slightly. The thermophotovoltaic conversion efficiency increases with the CNT content, rising from 79.3% (1% CNT) to 91.8% (7% CNT), while the phase change time is reduced. The introduction of CNT optimizes the heat transfer process, significantly enhancing the thermophotovoltaic conversion performance of the films. This study provides a promising solution for the development of solar thermal storage materials.
DO - 10.2298/TSCI241230110C
ER -