Hao Guanqiu, Lyu Le, Gao Wei, Chang Yaran, Liu Xiangdong, Chen Yongping
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117585, Singapore.
School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
Small. 2025 Jul;21(27):e2500839. doi: 10.1002/smll.202500839. Epub 2025 May 16.
This paper introduces a novel method for encapsulating phase change materials (PCM) into non-toxic, flexible fibers using microfluidic techniques, enhances with graphene coating to passive thermal management. The phase change fibers feature a uniform core-shell structure with a lightweight porous yet dense shell that prevents PCM leakage. The dimensions of the fibers and the ratio of PCM to the shell material can be precisely controlled as required. A graphene coating is applied to the surface of the phase change fiber to enhance its thermal conductivity and emissivity, thereby improving passive cooling performance without compromising the fiber's structural integrity or sealing stability. In particular, thermal management experiments on the electronic components undergoing intermittent operation under periodic thermal load demonstrate that the thermal management by the graphene-coated phase change fiber (GPCF) can effectively reduce both peak and average temperatures of electronic devices. Remarkably, the pure passive cooling without any power consumption based on the GPCF amounts to the performance of the forced air cooling with an airspeed of 0.8 m s, delivering substantial energy savings. The GPCF shows a great potential in thermal management of electronic devices subjected to periodic, short-term high loads, potentially offering significant savings in cooling-related energy consumption.
本文介绍了一种利用微流体技术将相变材料（PCM）封装到无毒、柔性纤维中的新方法，并通过石墨烯涂层增强其被动热管理性能。相变纤维具有均匀的核壳结构，其外壳轻质多孔但致密，可防止PCM泄漏。纤维的尺寸以及PCM与外壳材料的比例可根据需要精确控制。在相变纤维表面涂覆石墨烯涂层以提高其热导率和发射率，从而在不影响纤维结构完整性或密封稳定性的情况下改善被动冷却性能。特别是，对在周期性热负荷下进行间歇运行的电子元件进行的热管理实验表明，涂覆石墨烯的相变纤维（GPCF）进行的热管理可以有效降低电子设备的峰值温度和平均温度。值得注意的是，基于GPCF的纯被动冷却且无需任何功耗，其性能相当于风速为0.8 m/s的强制风冷，可大幅节省能源。GPCF在承受周期性短期高负荷的电子设备热管理方面显示出巨大潜力，有望在与冷却相关的能源消耗方面实现显著节省。
