Numerical investigations into thermal performance of phase change emulsion in a fin-and-tube heat exchanger

Abstract

Abstract Past investigations have identified phase change emulsions (PCMEs) as potential working fluids that could be used to reduce energy consumption in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. But how PCME behaves in a fin-and-tube heat exchanger, which is commonly found in HVAC system, is still unclear. The paper focused on theoretical studies of thermal performance of a novel PCME PCE-10 in a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. The research analyzed heat transfer and flow behavior in fin-and-tube heat exchangers and the results showed that PCE-10 has several performance advantages as a cold storage medium, which provides a basic basis for the design of a new type of practical cold storage device.