Abstract
The important topic of modelling tanks filled with phase change materials (PCMs) is discussed in this article. Due to the increasing use of heating and cooling installations, tanks containing two types of PCMs are the subject of many experimental analyses. However, there are still deficiencies in their models, which are presented in this paper. The theory model was created in order to design two tanks, each with a volume of 2 m3. They were filled with water and containers with two PCMs. The modelled tanks were meant to replace the existing water tanks that were previously used in the solar heating and cooling installation in a research building located in the southern part of Spain. After the tanks were assembled, the model was validated during the summer period when the designed storage tanks supported the operation of the solar system operating in the cooling mode. The created model consists of a 1D description of the heat transfer in the storage tank, and also a 1D description of the phase change in the containers with the PCMs. The model takes into account the front of the phase change and also discusses its impact on the thermal efficiency of the tanks. The agreement of the water output temperature is very good and validates the model, which can then be used to provide further details on the operation of the storage system—in particular, heat fluxes or a fraction of solid or liquid PCM.
Highlights
Thermal storage in phase change materials is currently the subject of many studies regarding materials science, thermodynamics and engineering
After the tanks were assembled, the model was validated during the summer period when the designed storage tanks supported the operation of the solar system operating in the cooling mode
The most frequently mentioned is the accumulation of both heat and cold in domestic hot water tanks in order to increase the amount of accumulated energy and to increase the thermal comfort of buildings integrated with phase change materials (PCMs)
Summary
Thermal storage in phase change materials is currently the subject of many studies regarding materials science, thermodynamics and engineering. The good storage properties of PCMs contribute to their common application in various areas of life. The desire to achieve a high density of energy storage is associated with a series of works in which one of the end effects is the cooperation of heat storage with the heating and cooling installation [3]. Experimental studies are the final result of many research works. In studies on the impact of the application of PCM that is integrated with a building, EnergyPlus software can be used. This was the case with the authors of the paper [6], who examined the energy efficiency of a building and verified their model experimentally
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