Charging of a thermal battery composed of open-cell metal foam and phase change material for use in pharmaceuticals transport

Abstract

Active coolers for pharmaceutical transport require maintenance significantly and present risks with movable parts. Passive coolers on the other hand have less components and do not require chilling units on board unlike their active counterparts. Phase change materials (PCM) have already been used in pharmaceutical logistics for the constant temperature provided thanks to the latent heat released during melting. However, before docking the gel packs require a significant amount of time for freezing due to their low thermal conductivities. In this study, the overall thermal conductivity of the enclosures of PCMs in a thermal battery is increased via combining them with open-cell metal foams. Experimental results on the thermal battery prototype show that the attempts for quickening the freezing process are promising for further research.