ABSTRACT
With the growing demand for renewable energy, the application of thermophotovoltaic conversion materials in energy storage and conversion has attracted significant attention. To enhance thermophotovoltaic conversion efficiency and promote the development of energy storage technologies, this study introduces modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to improve the thermal conductivity of flexible phase change films made from polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), and investigates their shape stability, phase change properties, thermal conductivity, and thermophotovoltaic conversion performance. The results show that the CNT-modified films exhibit excellent shape stability and flexibility, maintaining their shape above the melting temperature of PEG and recovering to their original form upon cooling. As the CNT content increases, the thermal conductivity of the films significantly improves, with the 7% CNT composite film showing a 158% increase in thermal conductivity, although the latent heat value decreases slightly. The thermophotovoltaic conversion efficiency increases with the CNT content, rising from 79.3% (1% CNTs) to 91.8% (7% CNTs), while the phase change time is reduced. The introduction of CNTs optimizes the heat transfer process, significantly enhancing the thermophotovoltaic conversion performance of the films. This study provides a promising solution for the development of solar thermal storage materials.
KEYWORDS
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2024-12-30
PAPER REVISED: 2025-05-09
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2025-05-19
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2025-07-05
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