Postdoctoral researcher
Commercial phase change materials (PCMs) in the US and EU markets are incorporated in macro- and
micro-encapsulations for latent heat storage in building energy applications. The thermal conductivity
and the specific heat capacity of these PCM products, which are usually reported in the specification’s
datasheet and are measured by a Heat Flow Meter (HFM), are the main thermal data used for
installation guidance and energy saving calculations. However, these measurements exhibit non-linear
behaviors with temperature due to contributions from the encapsulation materials and other factors.
Therefore, the thermal behavior of encapsulated PCMs masks the thermal properties of the actual PCM
and its phase change properties. Furthermore, the measurement by an HFM is fundamentally a relative
measurement being heavily correlated with the calibration of internal heat flux transducers using a
reference material. This work aims to establish the groundwork needed to develop a reference material
for validating the specific heat capacity values, as well as thermal conductivity of macro-encapsulated
PCMs. The research focus is to ultimately provide a new measurement service by developing a PCM
reference material with reliable thermal properties and a well-defined phase-temperature relationship.
Developing a standard reference phase change material in support of the thermal insulation industry
- US Citizen Preferred
- A minimum master’s degree in computer science, Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field.
- A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience is preferred.
- Familiarity with PCM and thermal simulations is a big plus.
- Ability to work with a commercial finite element software (experience with COMSOL is preferred but
not required). - Ability to develop an analytical model needed to analyze data.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Simulating thermal distributions on empty and PCM filled – encapsulation panels between
heating and cooling sources. - Determining thermal conductivity and heat capacity values of the PCM encapsulation panels
using computational methods. - Analyzing PCM melting and solidification process in the encapsulations using computational
methods. - Presenting results at internal meetings, and occasional meetings with external stakeholders.
- Ensuring that results, protocols, software, and documentation have been archived.