Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of structural and mechanical characteristics of metal foam on the melting behavior of phase change materials under the influence of different heat fluxes. To this aim, a two dimensional numerical model considering the non-equilibrium thermal factor, non-Darcy effect and local natural convection was used. The governing equations of PCM and metal foam are discretized using a finite volume method with a collocated grid arrangement. To simulate the melting of PCM, the enthalpy-porosity method is applied which computes the liquid fraction at each iteration, based on the enthalpy balance. The effect of metal foam characteristics (porosity, pores size and base material) and wall heat flux on the PCM melting time were investigated. The result showed that for both wall heat fluxes (4000 W m-2 and 8000 W m-2), foam structure and its mechanical properties have significant influence on the PCM melting time which these effects should be considered.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.