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

Mohammad Ghalambaz,Pouyan Talebizadehsardari,Jasim M Mahdi,Amir Hossein Eisapour,Aritra Ghosh,Obai Younis,Wahiba Yaïci,Hayder I Mohammed

doi:10.3390/en14061619

Abstract

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.

Highlights

Introduction distributed under the terms andThe excessive dependence on fossil fuels to meet humankind’s hunger for energy has led to undesirable phenomena like global warming and environmental pollution
The reason is that the rate of heat storage by the phase-change material (PCM) reduces through time, and due to the insulated surface of the outer wall, the rate of 16 of 19a thermal exchange between the heat transfer fluid (HTF) to the PCM by the fins decreases and more uniform temperature distribution is achieved in the domain
A three-dimensional model simulating the transient two-phase flow and thermal associated with the charging of PCM was developed and verified via previous related experiments

Summary

Introduction distributed under the terms and

The excessive dependence on fossil fuels to meet humankind’s hunger for energy has led to undesirable phenomena like global warming and environmental pollution. Energies 2021, 14, 1619 the entire charging time can be saved by 27%, and the thermal storage rate can be increased by 45% with ideal tree-configuration fins compared to the conventional fins Another important means for improving the thermal response of finned LHS systems is the proper optimization of the various fin design parameters governing the heat transfer and energy storage enhancement rates. These factors involve the fin pitch, number, thickness, and heights of fin at a given volume of the LHS system of concern. The study would provide in this regard a distinct benchmark for designing better performing LHS systems applicable to broad engineering applications

Geometry and Boundary Conditions

Mathematical

Numerical

Part A

Part B

Conclusions