Interfacial Thermal Resistance Between a Carbon Nanoparticle and Molten Salt Eutectic: Effect of Material Properties, Particle Shapes and Sizes
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The aim of this study is to estimate the interfacial thermal resistance between a carbon nano-particle and alkali molten salt eutectics using molecular dynamics simulations. Additionally the effect of particle shapes and sizes on the interfacial thermal resistance was investigated using three different shapes of the carbon nanoparticles. Transient heat transfer simulation between a carbon particle and molecules of a molten salt was performed with the lumped capacitance method. A carbonate salt eutectic which consists of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and potassium carbonate (K2CO3) in 62:38 molar ratio was used as a solvent medium for the nanoparticles. Three carbon particles of a single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT), a fullerene (C60), and a graphite sheet were used to represent different shapes of cylinders, a spheres, and disks, respectively. The interfacial thermal resistance was determined by a correlation with a specific heat of the carbon particle, their surface area, and the time constant of decaying particle temperature. The results show the interfacial thermal resistance values are independent of the particle size for SWNT and graphite particles. For three carbon particles with a similar particle size, similar resistances were obtained in our simulations. The purpose of this study is to design and develop novel high-temperature Thermal Energy Storage (TES) materials in order to improve the operational efficiencies for harnessing solar thermal power at cheaper costs for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems.
