Analysis of transient thermal management characteristics of PCM with an embedded carbon fiber heat sink

There has been a strong interest in the use of phase change materials (PCMs) for the transient thermal abatement of small size electronics and several experimental studies have examined various aspects of PCM implementation. However, the adaptation of this technology for larger systems will require a scale-up in both physical size and power density. In larger volumes, the poor thermal conductivity of the PCM itself (around 0.2 W/mmiddotK) becomes a considerable limitation. The thermal resistance into a large volume of PCM is significant and the design must be adapted to facilitate greater heat flow into the PCM container. This study experimentally investigates the performance of PCM with an embedded light weight carbon fiber heat sink as an effective thermal management technique for high power transient applications