Thermal management strategies employed to mitigate the detrimental effects of elevated temperatures include the use of heat sinks or spreaders, thermal interface materials, and phase change materials (PCM), among others. PCM are substances capable of absorbing or releasing thermal energy when they undergo a phase transition. The goal of this thesis was to engineer a surface layer that contained a phase change material on top of a metallic component used for thermal dissipation and test its performance. The ideal conditions to create a porous anodic layer that could contain phase change material in an aluminum substrate were determined. Vacuum impregnation was used to incorporate the phase change material within the annealed anodic layer. Sealing materials were tested regarding their effectiveness to contain the PCM, their thermal conductivity and ability to withstand thermal cycles. Thermal tests were run to compare the behavior of samples containing PCM with those that were only anodized and raw aluminum. The use of the alkane eicosane as PCM, introduced in pores created by anodization techniques in an aluminum heat sink that served as substrate, resulted in specimens that presented lower temperatures during the heating cycles than those without PCM, proving the potential of this strategy to manage transient thermal loads.ESTEP, Monterey, CA 93943Outstanding ThesisLieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited
