Simulation of solidification for saving energy with using nanomaterial involving conduction heat transfer

Abstract

The current article studies the improvement of the discharging rate in cold storage systems by modifying the tank configuration and incorporating additives. Specifically, the study inspects how varying the diameter (dp) and fraction (ϕ) of nano-powders affects the process duration. The governing equations, derived under the assumption of negligible slip velocity of nanoparticles and convection terms, were solved using the Galerkin method. The computational grid was modified owing to location of the ice front, and unsteady terms were discretized using an unconditionally stable approach. The results indicate that initially, increasing dp decreases the process duration by approximately 20.01 %, but further increases in dp lead to a 49.53 % rise in the duration. As the process time increases, the amount of ice produced also increases, with nanoparticle loading resulting in a significantly higher ice yield. Specifically, the incorporation of nanoparticles enhances the storage rate by approximately 41.37 %.