Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Shell-and-Tube Phase Change Material Thermal Storage Unit

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas H. Sherer ◽  
Yogendra Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Phase Change ◽  
Phase Change Material ◽  
Control Volume ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Transient Temperature ◽  
Storage Unit ◽  
Tube Bank ◽  
Fully Implicit ◽  
Shell And Tube ◽  
Change Material

A shell-and-tube phase change material (PCM) thermal energy storage (TES) unit has been analyzed numerically and experimentally. The tube bank is filled with commercial paraffin RUBITHERM RT 28 HC PCM, which melts as the heat transfer fluid (HTF) flows across the tubes. A fully-implicit one-dimensional control volume formulation that utilizes the enthalpy method for phase change has been developed to determine the transient temperature distributions in both the PCM and the tubes themselves. The energy gained by a column of tubes is used to determine the exit bulk HTF temperature from that column, ultimately leading to an exit HTF temperature from the TES unit. This paper presents a comparison of the numerical and experimental results for the transient temperature profiles of the PCM-filled tubes and HTF.

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Shell-and-Tube Phase-Change Material Thermal Energy Storage Unit

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas H. Sherer ◽  
Yogendra Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Phase Change Materials ◽  
Control Volume ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Transient Temperature ◽  
Storage Unit ◽  
Shell And Tube

Solid liquid phase-change materials (PCMs) present a promising approach for reducing data center cooling costs. We review prior research in this area. A shell-and-tube PCM thermal energy storage (TES) unit is then analyzed numerically and experimentally. The tube bank is filled with commercial paraffin RUBITHERM RT 28 HC PCM, which melts as the heat transfer fluid (HTF) flows across the tubes. A fully implicit one-dimensional control volume formulation that utilizes the enthalpy method for phase change has been developed to determine the transient temperature distributions in both the PCM and the tubes themselves. The energy gained by a column of tubes is used to determine the exit bulk HTF temperature from that column, ultimately leading to an exit HTF temperature from the TES unit. This paper presents a comparison of the numerical and experimental results for the transient temperature profiles of the PCM-filled tubes and HTF.

Simulation Investigation for Heat Transfer in Fin-Tube Thermal Storage Unit with Phase Change Material

2010 ◽  
Vol 168-170 ◽  
pp. 895-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian You Long
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Phase Change Material ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Water Heater ◽  
Storage Unit ◽  
Fin Tube ◽  
Change Material

This paper addresses a simulation investigation of a fin-tube thermal storage unit involving phase change process dominated by heat conduction. The heat transfer of fin-tube thermal storage unit with phase change material (PCM) was simulated by Fluent. Graphical results including outlet temperature of heat transfer fluid (HTF), average temperature of PCM and phase front interface of solid and liquid phase of PCM versus time and fin distance were presented and discussed. According to simulation results, it was concluded that only the fin-tube thermal storage unit with fin distance of 12fin/inch could satisfied the request of heat release performance of household heat pump water heater for shower.

scholarly journals Experimental Investigation and Prediction of Charging/Discharging Performance of Phase Change Material based Thermal Energy Storage Unit

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 600-609
Author(s):  
Saulius Pakalka ◽  
Kęstutis Valančius
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Phase Change Material ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Thermal Energy Storage ◽  
Response Surfaces ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Storage Unit ◽  
Change Material

Abstract The study presents the experimental and analytical investigation, which was carried out to evaluate the charging/discharging performance of phase change material (PCM) in the thermal energy storage (TES) unit. The experiments performed under different operating modes of the heat storage system, changing the inlet temperature and the mass flow rate of the heat transfer fluid (HTF). The calculated amount of thermal energy based on the partial enthalpy distribution provided by the manufacturer’s datasheet compared to that obtained from the experiments. Based on the experimental results, a three-dimensional response surfaces formed and a regression models obtained, which allow predicting the PCM charging and discharging performance.

Experimental Study on Thermal Characteristics of Finned Coil LHSU Using Paraffin as Phase Change Material

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guansheng Chen ◽  
Nanshuo Li ◽  
Huanhuan Xiang ◽  
Fan Li
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Experimental Study ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Phase Change Material ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Water Flow Rate ◽  
Thermal Characteristics ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Latent Heat Storage ◽  
Change Material

It is well known that attaching fins on the tubes surfaces can enhance the heat transfer into and out from the phase change materials (PCMs). This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the thermal characteristics of finned coil latent heat storage unit (LHSU) using paraffin as the phase change material (PCM). The paraffin LHSU is a rectangular cube consists of continuous horizontal multibended tubes attached vertical fins at the pitches of 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mm that creates the heat transfer surface. The shell side along with the space around the tubes and fins is filled with the material RT54 allocated to store energy of water, which flows inside the tubes as heat transfer fluid (HTF). The measurement is carried out under four different water flow rates: 1.01, 1.30, 1.50, and 1.70 L/min in the charging and discharging process, respectively. The temperature of paraffin and water, charging and discharging wattage, and heat transfer coefficient are plotted in relation to the working time and water flow rate.

scholarly journals Intensifying the Charging Response of a Phase-Change Material with Twisted Fin Arrays in a Shell-And-Tube Storage System

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1619
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ghalambaz ◽  
Hayder I. Mohammed ◽  
Jasim M. Mahdi ◽  
Amir Hossein Eisapour ◽  
Obai Younis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Change ◽  
Phase Change Material ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Heating Surface ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Three Dimensional Model ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Storage Rate ◽  
Shell And Tube ◽  
Change Material

A twisted-fin array as an innovative structure for intensifying the charging response of a phase-change material (PCM) within a shell-and-tube storage system is introduced in this work. A three-dimensional model describing the thermal management with charging phase change process in PCM was developed and numerically analyzed by the enthalpy-porosity method using commercial CFD software. Efficacy of the proposed structure of fins for performing better heat communication between the active heating surface and the adjacent layers of PCM was verified via comparing with conventional longitudinal fins within the same design limitations of fin material and volume usage. Optimization of the fin geometric parameters including the pitch, number, thickness, and the height of the twisted fins for superior performance of the proposed fin structure, was also introduced via the Taguchi method. The results show that a faster charging rate, higher storage rate, and better uniformity in temperature distribution could be achieved in the PCMs with Twisted fins. Based on the design of twisted fins, it was found that the energy charging time could be reduced by up to 42%, and the energy storage rate could be enhanced up to 63% compared to the reference case of straight longitudinal fins within the same PCM mass limitations.

scholarly journals Numerical Simulation of the Impact of the Heat Source Position on Melting of a Nano-Enhanced Phase Change Material

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1425
Author(s):  
Tarek Bouzennada ◽  
Farid Mechighel ◽  
Kaouther Ghachem ◽  
Lioua Kolsi
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Phase Change ◽  
Phase Change Material ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Melting Rate ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Commercial Code ◽  
Tube Position ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Change Material

A 2D-symmetric numerical study of a new design of Nano-Enhanced Phase change material (NEPCM)-filled enclosure is presented in this paper. The enclosure is equipped with an inner tube allowing the circulation of the heat transfer fluid (HTF); n-Octadecane is chosen as phase change material (PCM). Comsol-Multiphysics commercial code was used to solve the governing equations. This study has been performed to examine the heat distribution and melting rate under the influence of the inner-tube position and the concentration of the nanoparticles dispersed in the PCM. The inner tube was located at three different vertical positions and the nanoparticle concentration was varied from 0 to 0.06. The results revealed that both heat transfer/melting rates are improved when the inner tube is located at the bottom region of the enclosure and by increasing the concentration of the nanoparticles. The addition of the nanoparticles enhances the heat transfer due to the considerable increase in conductivity. On the other hand, by placing the tube in the bottom area of the enclosure, the liquid PCM gets a wider space, allowing the intensification of the natural convection.

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