Análisis de ciclos fusión-solidificación de ceras de parafina

Abstract

The global energy shortage has prompted for research of accumulate renewable energy alternatives, i.e., solar energy. Paraffin wax has a Phase Change Material (PCM) which allows to accumulate energy. Depending on their physical composition the melting temperature could be between 40° and 65° C, respectively. However, there is lack of information regarding the wax´s material chractersitcis after high number of cycles. Therefore, in the present work, a paraffin wax fusion/solidification system was designed and it further implemented. It was also used a data recording system to analyze melting, solidification cycles, and temperature profiles in the time domain. . The wax was heated and cooled in a Peltier cell. Two types of wax were analyzed for about 1000 cycles. It was analyzed periods and amplitudes of each cycle. The time cycle for PT 58 and PT Ch wax were 340 and 160 seconds, respectively. Finally, the results showed that the temperature profiles have no significant differentes, this means that the waxes do not undergo chemical or structural changes.