FEM simulation of the entropy due to a buoyancy-induced flow confined novel prismatic enclosures using nano-encapsulated phase change materials

Abstract

The flow, heat transfer, and melting-solidification behaviors within novel prismatic enclosures using the nano-encapsulated phase change materials (NEPCMs) are examined in this study. The flow area has nonfacing isothermal boundaries and it is filled by a homogeneous porous medium (glass balls). The Brinkman-extended non-Darcy formulations are applied while the latent heat of the change phase is computed using sine profiles. The host fluid is water, and the core and shell of the NEPCMs are nonadecane and polyurethane, respectively. The numerical simulations are carried out using the finite element method based on the characteristics-based split algorithm. The irreversibility of the system, flow, and thermal fields together with melting-solidification area is examined for wide ranges of the governing parameters. The major findings disclosed that the flow, heat transfer, and irreversibility of the system are affected by the fusion temperature and permeability of the medium. Also, an augmentation in values of up to 75% is obtained as is altered from 1% to 5%. Additionally, the heat transfer rate gets higher values at the lower values of the inclination angle. Furthermore, this numerical investigation is germane to the latent thermal energy storage units.