Stagewise melting heat transfer characteristics of phase change material in a vertically placed rectangular enclosure

Abstract

In this work, the stagewise melting heat transfer properties of lauric acid in a side-heated rectangular enclosure are investigated by using a numerical model validated by a published experimental study. During the discussion, the conduction process is treated as stage I, the processes of mixed convection–conduction and convection are collectively treated as stage II, and the shrinking solid process is treated as stage III. The effects of the enclosure geometry and the thermal conditions encountered by the lauric acid on heat transfer are discussed, particularly the transition points between different adjacent stages and the heat transfer characteristics during each stage. Increasing the height delays the transition point between stages I and II, but advances it between stages II and III. Increasing the width has no effect on the transition point between stages I and II, whereas it delays the transition point between stages II and III. Increasing the wall temperature and the initial temperature leads to an advancement of the two transition points. Dimensionless correlations are summarized for the transition points between adjacent stages, the melting completion times for the whole process, and the transient heat transfer coefficients and liquid fractions for each phase.