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A device known as a “thermal capacitor” is one that can absorb and release thermal energy to reduce temperature rises or fluctuations. A thermal capacitor is required to optimise thermal designs so that they can instead be created for an average heat load rather than a peak condition.
Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is a vital thermal method that roughly resembles an electrical capacitor. When heated by the system, phase change materials (PCMs) used in TES can convert from solid to solid, solid to liquid, or liquid to gas.
The Global Thermal energy capacitor market accounted for $XX Billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach $XX Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of XX% from 2023 to 2030.
A prototype 3U (a typical form factor for an electronic card) TES card for use in an LRU (Line Replaceable Unit) avionics chassis was developed using the previously mentioned design philosophy of minimising “L/A”. To improve the system’s thermal capacitance if the chassis slots are not entirely occupied, one or more TES cards can be installed in the empty spaces.
Although this version concentrated on the development of a TES system for avionics, the designed thermal capacitor, reported in this study, has broad applicability for any application that has a varying duty cycle (i.e., high peak loads or boundary conditions that limit the design).A parallel plate electrical capacitor, where the electrical capacitance is directly proportional to the surface area and inversely proportional to plate spacing, is a device that nearly matches the necessary device with the combination of high surface area and minimal conduction distance.
A parallel network of heat pipes was created that extends from the TES enclosure’s walls at one end and is connected to closely spaced parallel plate fins implanted in the PCM at the other, creating a system that functions similarly to a parallel plate capacitor. The perfect TES system is capable of infinite energy storage and has a low thermal resistance (low temperature rise of the heated system) that allows for quick charging and discharging.
