Melting performance analysis of finned metal foam thermal energy storage tube under steady rotation

Abstract

The latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) technology based on solid-liquid phase change material (PCM) is of great significance for the efficient utilization of thermal energy. To address the issues of slow thermal response and non-uniform melting of the LHTES technology, a hybrid heat transfer enhancement method combined with finned metal foam and steady rotation is proposed in this work. An enthalpy-porosity model considering non-Darcy porous effects and mechanical rotation is established based on the local thermal equilibrium assumption and the fixed grid system. Four different structures (uniform metal foam, graded metal foam, finned metal foam with uniform porosity, and finned metal foam with graded porosity) are investigated firstly to identify the optimal structural arrangement under the same volume of PCM. Numerical results demonstrate that the LHTES units strengthened by the finned metal foam with graded porosity achieve the shortest melting time and largest thermal energy storage rate (TESR). The graded porous structure reduces thermal resistance, rotation enhances flow and heat transfer inside the container, and the fins expand the heat source area. Moreover, the effect of different fin types, graded porosities, and rotational speeds are further considered. The findings suggest that the increase of these three parameters does not correspond to better thermal performance; instead, there is an optimal value. Compared with the base case, the optimal configuration (fin length of 20 mm, fin width of 1.5 mm, porosity gradient of 2%, and rotational speed of 0.5 rpm) can shorten the melting time by 46.68%, increase the TESR and Nu by 74.06% and 69.02%, respectively. This paper validates the feasibility of the hybrid heat transfer enhancement method with finned metal foam and steady rotation, which can offer new insights into the engineering practice of the LHTES technology.