Optimization of Phase Change Material Integration for Active Cooling Control

Abstract

This paper presents a unified optimization framework for phase change material (PCM) based cooling systems. Thermal management is critical in applications such as photovoltaic (PV) modules, battery packs, and power electronics, where excessive heat reduces performance and lifespan. Designing such systems is challenging because energy dynamics, capacity, heat rejection, and structural constraints must all be considered. Although prior studies have investigated PCM applications and heat transfer enhancement, there are limited efforts that unify such diverse performance objectives through formalized design methods. This paper develops a framework that formulates the PCM design problem using critical energy-based terms, with static and dynamic objectives capturing the PCM physical design and control aspects. Two case studies are used to validate the approach: the first explores passive cooling, and the second implements an active cooling configuration. The results compare the design and control of these systems, showing improvement in individual performance metrics between the two options.