Phase Change Materials: Technology Status and Potential Defence Applications (Review Papers)

Phase change materials (PCM) are being utilised world over for energy storage and temperature smoothening applications. Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ) has initiated a R&D programme to apply PCM in solving many heat related problems being faced by Indian forces during desert operations specially failure of mission-critical components. Under the programme, special organic PCM (Patent application no. 2258/DEL/2007 and low melting metal alloys have been developed well tuned to desert diurnal cycle. The PCM panels, when applied as an internal lining in buildings, structures and vehicles can moderate the extreme temperature within human tolerable range (below 40 °C) without the use of any external power for cooling. The panels can also act as power saver in air conditioned buildings. A cool vest has also been developed with chargeable PCM packs to provide comfortable microenvironment to a soldier on field duty (below 30 °C) for 2-3 hrs. To improve reliability of mission critical electronic instruments during desert operation, technology of absorptive PCM heat sinks is under development at DLJ. The special heat sink will absorb heat generated by component for critical mission (up to 1 hr) independent of environment temperature and thus ensure smooth functioning of critical components even in extreme hot conditions. In present paper status of PCM technology world over has been reviewed along with the brief account of research on PCM at DLJ. Defence Science Journal, 2011, 61(6), pp.576-582 , DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.61.363