Abstract
Abstract A comparative thermal performance assessment is reported for vertical and horizontal orientation of shell and tube type Latent Heat Storage Unit (LHSU) using stearic acid (melting point of 55.7–56.6 °C) as Phase Change Material (PCM) and water as Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). Total 45 thermocouples are used in radial, axial and angular directions to measure the temperature distribution in the PCM. In horizontal LHSU, temperature in the upper half of the horizontal diametric plane reaches the melting point faster due to natural convection. As a result, the upper half melts earlier than the lower half. In order to demonstrate the motion of solid-liquid interface, liquid fraction contours are presented. For vertical LHSU, melting front moves in a conical fashion around the vertical plane with faster melting at upper axial locations. Experimental analysis suggests that horizontal LHSU is better for part load operation as compared to vertical LHSU, as it requires lesser time to melt half of the PCM mass. Energy storage/retrieval rate during melting and solidification is also compared for both the LHSU configurations.
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