FEATool Heat Transfer Verification of a Multi-PCM Passive Vaccine Cold Chain Container

How long can a vaccine container stay cool without electricity? Researchers at the Technological Institute of the Philippines investigated a passive container designed to maintain a vaccine compartment between 2 and 8 °C for 17 days in a constant 35 °C environment. The design combines vacuum insulation with phase change materials (PCM), which absorb heat as they melt.



The study used the FEATool Multiphysics toolbox for an independent Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) check of the container’s thermal behavior. At the 408-hour design target, the paper reports a vaccine-center temperature of 7.55 °C. The simulation also showed where heat entered the container, helping assess the role of its layered insulation and thermal storage.

Visit https://featool.com/model-showcase/2026-09-10-Vaccine-Thermal-Container/ for more information and to download the toolbox today!