Thermal Energy Storage Thermal Response Model With Application to Thermal Management of High Power-Density Hand-Held Electronics

Abstract

An important design objective that is unique to hand-held units is the need to constrain two temperatures: the maximum temperature of the electronic components and the maximum skin temperature of the hand-held unit. The present work identifies and evaluates, through parametric modeling and experiments, the passive thermal energy storage volume characteristics and phase change material composite properties that are most suitable for thermal control of small form-factor, high power-density, hand-held electronics. A one-dimensional transient analytical model, based on an integral heat balance, is formulated and benchmarked. The model accurately simulates the heat storage/recovery process in a semi-infinite, “dry” phase change material slab. Dimensional analysis identifies the time and temperature metrics and nondimensional parameters that describe the heat storage/release process. Parametric analysis illustrates how changes in these nondimensional parameters affect thermal energy storage volume thermal response.