SLIIT International Conference on Engineering and Technology [SICET]

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SLIIT International Conference on Engineering and Technology is organized by the Faculty of Engineering. SICET welcomes submissions from various disciplines, focusing on emerging trends in Engineering, Technology, and Applied and Natural Sciences. The conference will encompass research in theory, practical applications, and education. This event offers a unique platform for academics, student researchers, and industry practitioners to present innovative ideas and engage with professionals from diverse engineering fields

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    PublicationOpen Access
    A Comparative Study on TiO₂/Graphite–PEG and Graphite/Carbon Fibre- Paraffin Shape Stabilized Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage Applications
    (Faculty of Engineering, 2025-09-09) Dananjaya, V; Wen,Q; Abeykoon, C
    Shape-stabilized phase change materials (SSPCMs) are promising candidates for latent heat thermal energy storage systems due to their high energy density and ability to prevent leakage during phase transitions. This study presents a comparative analysis of two SSPCM systems: TiO₂/graphite–polyethylene glycol (PEG) and graphite/carbon fibre/graphene–paraffin composites. Both composites were prepared by vacuum-assisted infiltration of molten PCMs into porous expanded graphite networks, with the addition of functional fillers to enhance structural integrity and thermal stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed distinct microstructural features for each system; TiO₂ nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed within the PEG matrix and anchored onto graphite surfaces, while carbon fibres and graphene nanoplatelets formed a hierarchical interconnected network within the paraffin-based composites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated that both systems preserved high latent heat storage capacities with slight shifts in phase transition temperatures compared to pure PCMs. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed improved thermal stability of the SSPCMs relative to neat PCMs, with filler composition significantly affecting degradation onset temperatures. In TiO₂/graphite–PEG composites, DSC analysis showed melting temperatures of 61.4-62.7 °C and solidification temperatures of 53.1-54.0 °C, with latent heats of 185-210 J g⁻¹ depending on TiO₂ content. Graphite/carbon fibre/graphene–paraffin composites exhibited melting temperatures of 54.8-55.6 °C and solidification temperatures of 48.9-49.7 °C, with latent heats of 140-160 J g⁻¹. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed improved degradation onset temperatures: TiO₂/graphite-PEG composites showed higher thermal stability compared to pure PEG, while carbon fibre/graphene–paraffin composites exhibited enhanced thermal resistance relative to pure paraffin. The TiO₂/graphite-PEG composites exhibited higher latent heat capacities and enhanced thermal resistance, whereas the graphite/carbon fibre/graphene–paraffin composites provided superior mechanical reinforcement and phase change reliability. These findings offer insight into the design optimization of SSPCMs tailored for specific thermal management applications.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Li-ion Battery Cooling - A Computational Study of Different Phase Change Material Configurations
    (Faculty of Engineering, 2025-09-09) Adikaram, S; Nasser, A; Vallés, C; Abeykoon, C
    Overheating of Li-ion batteries in Electric Vehicles (EVs) degrades performance and reduces lifespan. Hence, energyefficient and reliable Battery Thermal Management Systems (BTMS) are required. This paper investigates the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), a passive cooling method with high heat storage capacity, for the thermal management of prismatic Li-ion battery cells in EVs. This computational study models the influence of buoyancy-driven convective flow on the PCM cooling performance, compared against thermal conduction-only models. In addition, this study investigates how convective flow influences the cooling performance with variations in cell orientation between vertical and horizontal alignments. n- Octadecane is used as the PCM, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted with the Solidification and Melting model in ANSYS Fluent. A 12 mm PCM layer placed around the cell periphery reduced the centre temperature after 1800 s by 2.7 K in the vertical orientation and 3.7 K in the horizontal orientation compared to air-cooling. The effect of natural convection was more pronounced in the horizontal orientation, providing superior cooling performance relative to the vertical case. When the same PCM volume was used to fully enclose the cell, the cooling effect was further enhanced, achieving a maximum temperature reduction of 8.3 K within the first 1800 s. The findings demonstrate that natural convection significantly enhances the PCM-based cooling effectiveness, particularly in horizontally oriented cells, while thinner PCM layers with increased heat transfer area promote faster melting and improved cooling performance.