Fusible Heat Sink Materials: Evaluation of Alternate Candidates

Fusible heat sinks are a possible source for thermal regulation of space suited astronauts. Materials with greater thermal storage capability than water could enable both an extension of time between recharging and/or a reduction in size and/or mass. An extensive literature search identified 1,215 candidates with a solid-liquid transformation within the temperature range of -13°C (0°F) to 5°C (40° F). Based on data available in the literature, several candidates with a cooling capacity, ΔH, significantly greater than water were identified. Measurements of the transformation temperature, T_tr, and enthalpy of transformation, ΔH_tr, were then undertaken with a differential scanning calorimeter in order to confirm the accuracy of the literature. Laboratory measurements have thus far not been able to corroborate the extremely high values found from the literature. This paper presents the approach for materials selection utilized in this study, the experimental procedure, and the results of the measurements thus far undertaken.