The effect of size of copper oxide nanoparticles on the thermal behavior of silica aerogel/paraffin nanostructure in a duct using molecular dynamics simulation

Abstract

Due to the rise in gas prices and the surge in greenhouse gas emissions, individuals have turned to various renewable energy options. Silica aerogels are highly effective to maintain either hot or cold Temps. Insulation options with proficient thermal storage capabilities, such as phase change materials (PCMs), are highly beneficial. This study aimed to determine how the size of copper oxide nanoparticles affected the behavior of a silica aerogel/paraffin nanostructure within a duct. The researchers utilized computer simulation as a means to examine the thermal behavior (TB) and complex properties of the particles. To accomplish this objective, we evaluated the effect of various factors, such as the size of NPs incorporated into the structure, on density, temperature (Temp), heat flux, thermal conductivity, and charging and discharging time. According to the results, by increasing the radius of the nanoparticle to 10 Å, the density value in the atomic sample reached 0.1353 atoms/Å3. Moreover, the velocity (Vel) decreased to 0.0085 Å/fs. As the radius was 10 A, the thermal conductivity decreases from 1.74 W/m.k to 1.65 W/m.K. Also, by increasing the size of the nanoparticle, the charging and discharging time in the target atomic sample increases and decreases to 6.28 ns and 8.52 ns, respectively.

Keywords

• Phase change materials
• Silica aerogel
• Nanocomposite
• Molecular dynamics simulation