Experimental study of dynamic melting process in an ice-on-coil storage system

Abstract

Ice storage air conditioners in the field of refrigeration and air conditioning have the ability to effectively regulate the power load curve by mitigating the occurrence of high peaks and filling in the low troughs in power consumption. In order to enhance the applicability of the ice-storage air conditioner, a method of experimental analysis was utilized to incorporate a dynamic circulation system into the specially designed ice-melting ice storage tank. The system consists predominantly of circulation pumps, transportation tubes, and sprinkler nozzles. The study examined the effects of several parameters, including the arrangement of sprinkler nozzles, the flow rate of the sprinkler nozzles, the temperature of the brine at the inlet, and the flow rate of the brine, on the performance of the system. The assessment of the performance was conducted by considering the average discharge rate, total discharge capacity, duration of melting, discharge rate, and the distribution of temperature within the phase change material (PCM) tank. Based on the empirical findings, the dynamic ice melting system exhibited a notable increase in the average discharge rate, ranging from 60.7 % to 89.2 %, as compared to the static ice melting system. The duration of ice melting experienced a decrease ranging from 45.3 % to 54.3 %, while the distribution of temperature in the tank containing PCM exhibited a greater level of uniformity in comparison to the process of static ice melting. The staggered arrangement of nozzles has demonstrated superior effectiveness in terms of parameter impacts. The study revealed a positive correlation between the rate at which ice melts and the flow rate of the sprinkler, the temperature at which brine enters the system, and the rate at which brine flows.