Thermal Storage Performance of a Shell and Tube Phase Change Heat Storage Unit with Different Thermophysical Parameters of the Phase Change Material

Abstract

The thermal storage performance of shell and tube phase change heat storage units is greatly influenced by the thermophysical parameters of the phase change material (PCM). Therefore, we use numerical simulations to examine how the thermal storage capability of shell and tube phase change heat storage units is affected by thermophysical parameters such as specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and latent heat of phase change. The findings indicate that while the rate of temperature increase and the rate of the PCM melting both slow down as specific heat capacity increases, the overall heat storage increases. Within the specified range of parameters, the average rate of heat storage increases by approximately 4% for every 50% increase in specific heat capacity. The PCM’s rate of temperature rise slows down and its overall heat storage capacity rises throughout the middle stage of the phase change heat storage process as the latent heat of phase change grows. The average heat storage rate increases by approximately 6% and 22% for every 50% increase in latent heat and thermal conductivity, respectively. Notably, when the thermal conductivity is enhanced by a factor of 1.5, the average heat storage rate experiences an almost 50% increase. The thermal conductivity of the PCM has a negligible impact on total heat storage. The choice and use of the PCM in shell and tube phase change heat storage heat exchangers has a theoretical and empirical foundation thanks to this work.