Experimental evidence of thermocapillarity in phase change materials in microgravity: Measuring the effect of Marangoni convection in solid/liquid phase transitions

The Thermocapillary Effects in Phase Change Materials in Microgravity (TEPiM) experiment investigated the potential of Marangoni convection for heat transfer enhancement in Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in weightlessness, where the large melting/solidification timescale compromises their performance as thermal control devices. The TEPiM experiment, which was conducted during the 65th ESA Parabolic Flight campaign, represents the first microgravity research of this nature.