Dynamic tuning of phase change composites via the electric field to control the heating wall temperature

Phase change materials (PCMs) are widely recognized as a promising solution for thermal management applications. However, the practical implementation of organic PCMs is often constrained by their inherently low thermal conductivity. To address this limitation, this study integrates electric field with nanoparticle doping to enhance the melting rate. Nanoparticles were dropped with varying particle sizes to investigate the temperature control performance under an electric field. The experimental results demonstrate that 30 nm nanoparticles exhibit enhanced localization near the heat load due to electric field induction, leading to an accelerated melting rate during the initial phase. Furthermore, reducing the mass ratio of 30 nm nanoparticles results in a significantly stabilized thermal response, with the heat load wall temperature fluctuating within a narrow range of only 2.73 °C. Notably, this optimized configuration maintains high thermal regulation efficiency while consuming minimal power (0.17 mW).