Artificial dispersal of void patterns in unidirectional freezing

Experiments were conducted to observe the effects of wire screens, wire wool mesh, and soluble gases on the solidification shrinkage void pattern for liquids frozen in constant-volume containers. Prospective applications of these techniques for creating artificial void dispersal are evaluated in light of the models for void initiation and growth developed in an accompanying article. All three approaches show promise of providing better management of solidification shrinkage voids when thermal energy is stored in phase-change materiats, especially under conditions where the voids are ordinarily concentrated to an unacceptable degree. We feel that these results will eventually help usher in a new generation of high-performance thermal energy storage systems due to better void control.