Numerical simulation of flow and heat transfer in composite PCM on the basis of two different models of open-cell metal foam skeletons

Conducting a thermal management system is necessary to maintain safety while using Li-ion batteries. Phase-change material (PCM) cooling is regarded as one of the most effective thermal management methods. In this work, Li-ion battery systems serve as a heat source with constant heat flux. Three-dimensional metal foam skeletons were built by body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) methods, respectively. Paraffin embedded in the metal foam skeleton served as the composite PCM, which was applied to the thermal management system. The flow and heat-transfer characteristics of the composite PCM were represented by non-dimensional parameters (i.e., Rayleigh number, Reynolds number, and porosity of the metal foam). Compared with pure PCM, the results indicated that the composite PCM was more effective in the thermal management.