Transient study of thermal stratification of full-scale chilled water storage tank during optimum discharge condition

Abstract

Thermal stratification of full-scale Chilled Water Storage Tanks (5855 m3) with 18 m tank diameter, and 23 m water depth during discharge mode and optimum condition was studied. The experimental and numerical analyse of stratified thermal storage tank in full-scale dimension and discharge mode has been studied. A 3D and 2D numerical model was performed. The case simplified to divide into two parts, the first part was to simulate flow in pipes and radial diffuser, and the second part included simulation in the tank according to the part one results. The optimum operation condition which found from many tests of tank operation conditions according to high thermal stratification and low thermal mixing inside the tank. Validation test with experimental data obtained from the present work and literature. The results included to analyse the thermal stratification and the flow characteristics during the discharging mode. Also, thermal performance parameters such as discharge efficiency, Richardson number, stratification efficiency, thermocline thickness, the average temperature in the tank, and discharge temperature were presented. The important result of the above analysis was the optimum stratification phenomena in the tank with low thermal mixing. The contribution of this study was the numerical modelling and simulation setting to capture the experimental results of these phenomena in the full-scale thermal storage tank, moreover to specify the optimum condition of thermal stratification of this tank dimension, diffuser type, and flow rate.