• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
• /
• v.13 no.12
• /
• pp.1223-1229
• /
• 2001

Though conventional calorimetry methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) are used generally in measuring heat of fusion, T-history method has the advantages of a simple experimental apparatus and no requirements of sampling process, which is particularly useful for measuring thermal properties of inhomogeneous phase change materials (PCMs) in sealed tubes. However, random criteria (a degree of supercooling) used in selecting the range of latent heat release and neglecting sensible heat during the phase change process can cause significant errors in determining the heat of fusion. In the present study, it was shown that a 40% discrepancy exists between the original T-history and the present methods when analyzing the same experimental data. As a result, a reasonable modification to the original T-history method is proposed.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
• /
• v.15 no.8
• /
• pp.652-660
• /
• 2003

T-history method, measuring heat-of-fusion of phase change material (PCM) in sealed tubes, has the advantages of a simple experimental device and no requirements in sampling process. However, a degree of supercooling used in selecting the range of latent heat release and neglecting sensible heat during the phase change process can cause significant errors in determining the heat of fusion in the original method, which has been improved in order to predict better results by us. In the present study, the modified method was applied to a variety of PCM such as paraffin and lauric acid having very small or no supercooling with a satisfactory precision. Also the selection of inflection point and temperature measurement position was fumed out not to affect the accuracy of heat-of-fusion significantly. As a result, the method can provide an appropriate means to assess a new developed PCM by cycle test even if a very accurate value cannot be obtained.