Numerical study on latent heat storage systems with and without fins during simultaneous charging and discharging process

Abstract

A numerical study is carried out on phase change material (PCM) impregnated in shell and tube heat exchangers with and without fins. The simultaneous charging and discharging (SCD) process is considered for the study, where the heat transfer occurs between heat transfer fluids (HTFs) and PCM simultaneously. The study intends to analyze the heat transport behavior of PCM and energy transport between the hot and cold HTFs. In the SCD process, the hot HTF is circulated through the hot tube, whereas cold HTF is made to simultaneously pass through the cold tube. The influence of the latent heat storage system (LHSS) inclination on the thermodynamic behavior of PCM with and without fins is inspected. To evaluate the effect of orientation four angles are considered. The angles include 90°, 60°, 30° and 0°. The investigation shows that the orientation significantly influences convective strength and melt fraction. An increase in melt fraction by 13.1% and 39.35% is observed when orientation is changed from 90° to 0° in finned and unfinned LHSS. It is also observed that the LHSS with fins gave an 18.31% higher melt fraction than without fins for vertical configuration. The LHSS with fins gave uniform temperatures and higher average Nusselt numbers. Among various configurations considered, LHSS with fins can be considered for 90° (vertical) and 60° orientations. In contrast, the LHSS without fins can be preferred for 30° and 0° (horizontal) positions.