Optimizing fin design for enhanced melting performance in latent heat thermal energy storage systems

Abstract

The addition of fins to phase change material (PCM) in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems is a widely employed technique to enhance thermal performance and significantly improve energy storage efficiency. This research focuses on a two-dimensional numerical model investigating heat transfer within a shell-and-tube structure of LHTES. Various combinations of fin number and fin height were explored to assess their influence on melting performance while maintaining the consistent fin volume. Subsequently, a topology optimization technique was developed to determine the most effective fin configuration. The optimized fins exhibited dendritic distributions and outperformed other fin designs in terms of heat transfer performance. The topology-optimized design resulted in a remarkable 74 % increase in melting performance compared to the structure without fins. Furthermore, we introduced a simplified model that takes into account manufacturing feasibility. We verified that a fin volume fraction of 6 % resulted in a significantly reduced melting time of 36 min, in stark contrast to the 249 min observed without fins.