Graphene-Coated Paraffin Composites: Numerical Investigation of Effective Thermal Properties

This thesis presents a numerical study of graphene-coated paraffin composites for thermal energy storage. Using OpenFOAM and periodic representative volume elements, it examines how microscale features like sphere size, coating thickness, and volume fraction influence heat conduction and thermal response. The work defines numerical resolution criteria, introduces thermal reaction time, and explores the thermodynamic limit of conductivity in multisphere systems. At high volume fractions, early signs of percolation are observed. The results show that graphene coatings enhance performance when geometry and resolution are properly controlled, providing a numerical foundation for the design of efficient and responsive composites.