Abstract
We present in this work simulations using the finite difference approximation in 2D for the melting of an encapsulated phase-change material suitable for heat storage applications; in particular, we study CaCl2·6H2O in a cylindrical encapsulation of internal radius 8 mm. We choose this particular salt hydrate due to its availability and economic feasibility in high thermal mass building walls or storage. Considering only heat conduction, a thermostat is placed far from the capsule, providing heat for the melting of the phase-change material (PCM), which is initially frozen in a water bath. The difference in density between the solid and liquid phases is taken into account by considering a void in the solid PCM. A simple theoretical model is also presented, based on solving the heat equation in the steady state. The kinetics of melting is monitored by the total solid fraction and temperatures in the inner and outer surfaces of the capsule. The effect of different parameters is presented (thermostat temperature, capsule thickness, capsule conductivity and natural convection in the bath), showing the potential application of the method to select materials or geometries of the capsule.
Highlights
The burgeoning world population and the associated energy and water requirements along with the ongoing decrease in natural resources’ availability pose enormous challenges for future generations.Energy is vital for most human processes and for social advancement; it is fundamental to innumerable commercial and productive activities
We focus here on the heating application, for which the phase-change material (PCM) is initially set at a temperature below freezing, and the thermostat is at a temperature above melting (Tm = 30 ◦ C)
We monitor the melting of the PCM
Summary
The burgeoning world population and the associated energy and water requirements along with the ongoing decrease in natural resources’ availability pose enormous challenges for future generations. PCM, contained in differently-shaped containers (e.g., spherical capsules), are able to store latent heat and can be used to improve energy efficiency in the building sector [15,16] This technology will significantly reduce carbon emissions and produce economic and environmental benefits for local populations in the form of heat management; lowering energy and water consumption (needed in all phases of energy production and electricity generation) for CH systems in all types of buildings. The results presented in this study will contribute to a better understanding of the phase-change process in the studied PCM and geometry, but will be useful for those wishing to model the performance of thermal storage units or high thermal mass walls applied in building CH systems. The general framework constitutes a set of soft computing approaches that exploit areas of thermal engineering
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