Abstract
A numerical and experimental study of a thermal energy storage tank is presented whereby the transient response to a step increase in temperature is predicted with reasonable accuracy. With the introduction of an “apparent diffusivity” which significantly simplifies the matematical model of the storage tank, it is possible to achieve simulations of solar energy thermal systems without excessive use of computer time. The energy equation is reduced to a one dimensional model with the thermal diffusivity factor accounting for all temperature dependent fluid properties. A numerical solution was implemented and correlated with data obtained from an experimental apparatus, to determine an expression for the apparent diffusivity. It was found that the apparent diffusivity is a function of the temperature gradient and the mass flow rate. The discrepancy between the temperature profile predictions and experimental data was less than ten percent in the most unfavorable case, and the average was about two percent.
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