Open AccessNumerical Investigation On Thermal Behaviours Of Latent Thermal Energy Storages With Pcm Partially Filled With Aluminum Foam
Author(s) -
Bernardo Buonomo,
Oronzio Manca,
Sergio Nardini,
Renato Elpidio Plomitallo
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of physics. conference series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.21
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1742-6596
pISSN - 1742-6588
DOI - 10.1088/1742-6596/2177/1/012014
Subject(s) - materials science , phase change material , metal foam , paraffin wax , adiabatic process , cylinder , heat transfer , thermal conductivity , latent heat , composite material , mechanics , thermal energy storage , thermal , porosity , thermodynamics , mechanical engineering , wax , physics , engineering
In this paper a numerical investigation on the effects of the metal foam into the Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage System, based on a phase change material, is accomplished. The geometry of the system is a vertical shell and tube LHTESS made with two concentric aluminum tubes. The internal surface of the hollow cylinder is assumed at a constant temperature above the melting temperature of the PCM to simulate the heat transfer from a hot fluid. The other external surfaces are assumed adiabatic. The PCM is completely embedded in the volume between the two coaxial cylinders, it is pure paraffin wax with a low value of thermal conductivity and it melts in a range of temperatures. The metal foam is made of aluminum and it partially fills the volume starting from the internal cylinder with a thickness lower the differences between the external cylinder radius and internal one. The enthalpy-porosity theory is employed to simulate the phase change of the PCM and the metal foam is modelled as a porous media that follow the Brinkman-extended Darcy model. The governing equations are solved employing the Ansys-Fluent code. The results are shown in term of melting time, temperature and energy at varying of time and at varying the filling ratio.