Experimental study on the solid-liquid phase change in metallic fiber felt saturated with phase change material

Integrating high thermal conductivity and permeability of porous stainless-steel fiber felt and the high latent heat phase change materials (PCMs), the enhanced heat transfer performance of porous stainless-steel fiber felt saturated with paraffin as phase change material (PCM) is experimentally studied. The effects of the porosity and the fiber diameter on the surface temperature and the solid/liquid interface evolutions are investigated. The inclusion of the PCM in the melting region can significantly reduce the surface temperature. The surface temperature is positively related with the porosity and the fiber diameter.