Abstract: The present work aims to investigate numerically the thermal and flow characteristics of a rectangular latent heat storage unit (LHSU) during the melting process of a phase change material (PCM). The LHSU consists of a number of vertical and identical plates of PCM separated by rectangular channels. The melting process is initiated when the LHSU is heated by a heat transfer fluid (HTF: water) flowing in channels in a downward or upward direction. The proposed study is motivated by the need to optimize the thermal performance of the LHSU by accelerating the charging process. A mathematical model is developed and a fixed-grid enthalpy formulation is adopted for modeling the melting process coupling with convection-conduction heat transfer. The finite volume method was used for discretization. The obtained numerical results are compared with experimental, analytical and numerical ones found in the literature and reasonable agreement is obtained. Thereafter, the numerical investigations were carried out to highlight the effects of the HTF flow direction and the aspect ratio of the PCM slabs on the heat transfer characteristics and thermal performance enhancement of the LHSU.
Abstract: The storage of thermal energy as a latent heat of phase
change material (PCM) has created considerable interest among
researchers in recent times. Here, an attempt is made to carry out
numerical investigations to analyze the performance of latent heat
storage units (LHSU) employing phase change material. The
mathematical model developed is based on an enthalpy formulation.
Freezing time of PCM packed in three different shaped containers
viz. rectangular, cylindrical and cylindrical shell is compared. The
model is validated with the results available in the literature. Results
show that for the same mass of PCM and surface area of heat
transfer, cylindrical shell container takes the least time for freezing
the PCM and this geometric effect is more pronounced with an
increase in the thickness of the shell than that of length of the shell.