Latent Heat Thermal Storage System Research Articles

Thermal storage performance of a novel shell-and-tube latent heat storage system: Active role of inner tube improvement and fin distribution optimization

This study presents a numerical analysis of the melting process in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system, featuring a twisted elliptical inner tube with annular fins. Utilizing paraffin as the phase change material (PCM) and water as the heat transfer fluid (HTF), this research examines the impact of varying twist degrees, fin quantity and fin distribution on the system's thermal performance during melting process. The analysis of the melting process includes complete melting time, temperature, and the contour of the solid-liquid interface. Notably, the study identifies that both fin quantity and distribution play a significant role in the melting process. The findings indicate that an optimal configuration, comprising a 720° twisted degree, 11 fins, and a base number a of 0.80, enhances the melting efficiency of the LHTES system by 156.44 % and reduces ineffective heat loss by 41.36 %. These results highlight the potential advantages of the twisted elliptical inner tube structure and propose an innovative approach with an exponentially non-uniform fin distribution, marking an advancement in the field of thermal energy storage.

Super‐liquid‐repellent thin film materials for low temperature latent heat thermal energy storage: A comprehensive review of materials for dip‐coating

AbstractWhen discharging latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems, performance is influenced by the formation and adherence of a solid layer of phase change material (PCM) on heat eXchange (HX) surfaces. Super‐liquid‐repellent thin films (STFs) may be able to reduce solidifying PCM adhesion on HX surfaces during discharging, delay PCM solidification to lower temperatures, and by modifying nucleation sites potentially enable long‐term seasonal thermal storage. Techniques employed previously to fabricate sintered polymeric STF coatings include chemical vapour deposition, dip‐coating, spray‐coating, spin‐coating, layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly, sol‐gel, anodizing, electrodeposition, electrospinning, so on. Dip‐coating is considered attractive for fabricating thin films on simple and complex surface geometries due to process maturity, scalability, flexibility and cost‐effectiveness. To identify suitable materials for preparing STFs on metal HX surfaces using the dip‐coating process, more than 200 journal articles published in English during the period 2010 to 2022 were reviewed and the potential role of STFs in LHTES applications was assessed. The review identified key areas and applications stimulating STF material developments and formulations. The dip‐coating of potential STF materials was classified under three major themes driving current research and development (R&D) activities, that is, high performance thin films, eco‐friendly thin films and fundamental research formulations. This review provides a platform from which to develop coatings and HX systems to enable the cost‐effective implementation of STFs for improved heat transfer in future mobile/stationery LHTES systems.

A combined uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of melting in a cubical cavity, Part A: Model validation

Latent heat thermal energy storage systems exploit the solid–liquid phase transition of a material to store thermal energy almost isothermally with high energy density. Numerical methods are increasingly being used for the targeted design of these storage systems. The problem, however, is that the results obtained with these methods – despite a frequently shown near-perfect agreement between validation experiments and simulation results – are subject to large uncertainty. To illustrate the extent of this problem and to show approaches to solving it, a combined uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the melting process of a paraffin (octadecane) in a cuboid heated from one side is carried out in this two-paper series. In part A, we present the model and validate it; in part B we use it to carry out the combined uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. The validation of the model is performed with the help of experimental results. For this purpose, we measure the liquid phase fraction, the position of the phase boundary, the velocity field in the liquid and the temperature inside the test capsule. We make sure that the experimental results are reproducible. Systematic deviations are discussed and, if possible, the results are corrected for their value. When measuring the velocity field using particle image velocimetry (PIV), the greatest systematic deviation is due to the inhomogeneous refractive index field in the liquid phase. Finally, it is shown that, in the present case, the influence is very low if constant material properties evaluated at the mean temperature are taken for each phase compared to a temperature-dependent implementation. An exception is the density. If the density change during melting is not taken into account the deviation of the melt fraction lies between 6 and 8%. In summary, the validation of the numerical model is very satisfactory and demonstrates the suitability of the model for performing the investigations of the part B paper.

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of effects of realistic boundary conditions on volumetric radiation‐conduction melting of a novel cylindrical enclosure filled with phase change materials

AbstractIn this research, a novel solar latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system, including the cylindrical enclosures filled with a phase change material (PCM), is proposed, which can be installed on the building windows to alleviate the drawbacks of traditional PCM‐filled double‐glazed windows, such as daylight hindrance and leakage. The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is used to simulate the volumetric radiation‐conduction melting of the PCM within a single cylinder of the proposed LHTES system with considering more realistic conditions such as convective boundary condition, shadow effect, and variable solar radiation angle compared with the available works in the literature. As such, several boundary conditions are assessed, and parameters such as cylinder diameter, extinction coefficient, scattering albedo, solar angle, shadow effect, and natural convection heat transfer coefficient are studied on the time history of the melting fraction and charging time. The results revealed that considering the applied conditions, such as convection heat loss to the environment and shadow, significantly affects the charging time of the system. It is shown that the charging time for convective boundary condition with , , and increases, respectively, by 11%, 30%, and 50% relative to a case with the insulated boundary condition without the shadow effect and 38%, 91%, and 175% compared with the insulated case with a 90° shadow.

Energy consumption reduction in a building by free cooling using phase change material (PCM)

It is significantly important to implement energy storage systems nowadays. Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems contain numerous advantages as a result of their small temperature variation and higher energy storage densities during storage. The present paper deals with the cooling load of a room in Zanjan, Iran using Carrier software. Then, a free cooling system using commercial paraffin RT25 was numerically analyzed as phase change material (PCM) while investigating the effects of the flow rate of the storage tank and inlet air temperature overcharging and discharging procedures. Based on cold energy storage simulation, by airflow with the temperature of 20°C at night, the paraffin is solidified in 4 h. Stored cold energy of 1.4 kW in PCM releases energy through a free cooling system within 2.1 h of July afternoon in the room.

Design optimization of the cooling systems with PCM-to-air heat exchanger for the energy saving of the residential buildings

Driven by a rapid surge in cooling demand in buildings, the energy consumption dedicated to cooling has experienced remarkable growth. To address this challenge, the adoption of latent heat thermal energy storage utilizing phase change materials (PCM) has gained significant momentum in recent years. This paper presents the design and evaluation of an integrated latent heat thermal energy storage (ILHTES) system tailored for residential buildings. This system integrates a PCM-to-air heat exchanger (PAHX) with an air conditioning unit. Modelica language is utilized to develop a numerical model for the ILHTES system. The heat transfer model of the PAHX is developed and validated using existing literature data. To simulate the dynamic behavior and energy consumption of the residential building, the open-source library AixLib is adopted. The developed ILHTES system model is used for the optimization of key design variables, including the PCM slab thickness and air flow rate, based on the results of long-term simulations covering the entire cooling season. Evaluation of the energy saving potential of the optimized ILHTES systems is carried out in comparison to conventional air conditioning systems, considering various climatic conditions in five European cities. The results highlight the profound impact of PCM types on the Energy Saving Ratio (ESR) throughout the entire cooling season. Among the four commercially available PCMs examined—RT27, RT25, RT20, and RT18—RT25 consistently outperforms the others. Across all five cities investigated, using RT25 leads to a minimum ESR of 16% in Catania and a maximum ESR of 44.7% in Stockholm for the entire cooling season.

Implementation of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system in design and process optimization of latent heat storage system

This study focuses on implementing an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) as an artificial neural network model to optimize latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems. Experimental data comprising seven input parameters (length, shell diameter, tube diameter, mass flow rate, difference in temperature, latent heat, and density) and two output parameters (charging and partial charging time) are collected and used to train the ANFIS model. Initially, the model is developed using a grid partition method, employing Triangular and Gbell membership functions and assigning diverse membership rules. This initial model demonstrated satisfactory accuracy based on quality metrics (R2, mean absolute, and root mean square error). Then, a subtractive clustering approach is applied to further enhance the model's accuracy, which groups different data clusters together. This enhanced model exhibited superior performance compared to the grid partition method, making it the optimal choice. In addition, an experimentally validated numerical model is developed using COMSOL Multiphysics and is utilized to crosscheck the predicted output of the ANFIS model. From a set of 100 combinations of storage capacity between 0.45 and 0.55 MJ, a fixed latent heat storage capacity of 0.456 MJ was identified by considering the combination with the least charging time based on the input parameters. Using this storage capacity, a minimum charging time of 223 min and a partial charging time of 180 min was determined. The numerical model also confirmed these optimal values.

Design, analysis, and testing of a prototype-scale latent heat thermal energy storage (LTES) system

A parametric analysis was performed to design a prototype-scale latent heat thermal energy storage (LTES) system using commercial grade hexahydrate calcium chloride as phase change material (PCM) in a staggered tube array configuration, placed horizontally. The study involved numerical analysis of melting and solidification processes of the PCM within the tube array, considering transient two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations and a Realizable k-ɛ turbulence model to predict fluid flow and heat transfer. The enthalpy-porosity technique was used to model PCM melting and solidification. The study included a comparison between numerically predicted and experimentally obtained air temperatures at the tube array outlet, as well as PCM temperatures. This comparison revealed an excellent level of agreement. Additionally, the study compared the pressure drop within the array and the average peripheral heat transfer coefficient calculated from the numerical results to the well-established Zukauskas correlation. The resulting design successfully met the predefined performance criteria: achieving a cooling effect of 4 °C for a four-hour duration while maintaining a pressure drop of <100 Pa. The proposed prototype-scale tube array design can be efficiently cooled down and PCM frozen overnight. The energy storage density of the system falls within the range of 22 to 27 kWh/m3.

Inverse identification of thermal behaviour of a paraffin-based phase change material in complete and partial phase change cycles

From the macroscopic point of view, phase change hysteresis (PCH) means that a phase change process (e.g. solidification) does not follow the same temperature-enthalpy path as the opposite phase change process (melting). Although the PCH is observed in most phase change materials (PCMs), it is often neglected in computational models, resulting in discrepancies when compared to experimental data. The PCH can particularly be an issue in the modelling of latent heat thermal energy storage systems, where incomplete (partial) phase transitions are quite common. Lab-scale experimental methods for characterisation of PCMs, such as differential scanning calorimetry or the temperature-history method, employ only small PCM samples, and the obtained results are often insufficient for predicting the thermal behaviour of large volumes of PCMs. The present study explores numerical modelling approaches to the PCH, addressing both complete and partial melting-to-solidification cycles. A set of validation experiments was performed, focusing on phase transitions in a paraffin-based PCM enclosed in a rectangular cavity. An inverse identification method was used to minimise the root mean square error (RMSE) of temperatures in the PCM using the particle swarm optimisation method. A two-curve approach showed the highest accuracy in complete phase change cycles, with a 62% improvement in the RMSE when compared to the manufacturer data. As for cycles with partial phase changes, a curve-scale approach showed superior behaviour, reducing the RMSE as much as 99%. Conversely, another investigated approach – a curve-track model – exhibited inferior performance, making it less suitable for the modelling of partial phase changes.

Numerical simulation of a thermal energy storage system using sunrise and sunset transient temperature models

The temperature of the sun was modeled in this study using two transient solar temperature equations for sunrise and sunset that were developed for designing a latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system for a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant. The derivation of the equations was based on the existing solar hour angle and the fundamental periodic function equations. Ansys' computational fluid dynamics code was used to investigate numerically the transient response of the conjugate melting and solidification of a phase change material (PCM) in a cylindrical shell and helical heat pipe (HHP) thermal system. The models for both equations were applied as user-defined functions (UDFs). The heat transfer medium was air. The predicted liquid and solid fractions provide quantitative data on the temperature and the stored solar energy. The effectiveness of both models in enhancing heat transfer and their suitability as real-time transient solar temperature models in heat transfer engineering is demonstrated by comparisons between their outputs. With high agreement, experimental data from the open literature was used to validate the numerical model's predictions. The solar temperature models aim to contribute to heat transfer enhancement for a reduced PCM energy storage time in designing a high-temperature solar thermal storage that is adequate to maintain a steady supply of electricity and energy for domestic and commercial applications and to accelerate the global transition to low-carbon energy.

Effect of steam flow parameters on the partial load behaviour of a PCM storage

To estimate the achievable thermal power in passive latent heat thermal energy storage (LH-TES) systems and the corresponding charging/discharging times for customised storage design and operation, relevant influencing parameters and their impact must be sufficiently known and understood. These parameters include not only the well-researched parameters on the phase change material (PCM) side, but also the parameters on the heat transfer fluid (HTF) side, such as the inlet temperature, the mass flow rate and the resulting heat transfer coefficient (HTC) between the HTF flow and the tube wall. For heat exchangers, these influences have been studied well, however for highly transient LH-TES studies are scarce. This article presents the influence of relevant parameters focusing on the ones related to the HTF side, using analytical and numerical parameter studies in Matlab®. The effect of different HTCs for varying flow conditions of the HTF in different zones of the tube is utilised to introduce the dominant heat transfer surface between the storage and the HTF (DHTS) as an indirect operating parameter. It corresponds to the area where the HTF phase change occurs and where most of the total energy is transferred. The numerical study indicates that the size of the dominant heat transfer area and thus the DHTS can be adapted by the HTF mass flow rate and the temperature difference between the HTF inlet temperature and the PCM phase change temperature. Based on this knowledge, new conjugate design and operating strategies for a test rig with a nominal thermal power of 1 kW using the commercial PCM PLUSICE A133 as storage material are proposed. They lead to a peak shaving behaviour of the storage with defined charging and discharging times.

Performance of a rotating latent heat thermal energy storage unit with heat transfer from different surfaces

Due to the rapid growth in the demand for fast and efficient latent heat thermal energy storage system, multiple heat transfer enhancement techniques have been proposed and widely investigated. Actively or passively, rotation of the energy storage unit affects the internal natural convection and the heat transfer performance. Hence, this study is conducted to evaluate the potential of the heat transfer enhancement by rotation. A two-dimensional model with the phase change material filled in the annular space of a double tube energy storage unit is developed. The numerical simulations for the heat transfer through the internal or external surfaces of the annular space are respectively conducted. Both solidification and melting of the phase change material are taken into account by the enthalpy-porosity method. According to different heat transfer surfaces and the occurrence of solidification or melting, four arrangements are formed. It is found that the rotation of the thermal energy storage unit can reduce the solidification time as high as 46 % compared to its still counterpart, but variation of the rotation speed only produces a minor influence. The effect of rotation on the melting depends on the heat transfer direction (or surface). When the heat is transferred into the solid phase change material through the internal wall, the melting time can be gradually reduced as the rotation speed increases with a maximum of 69 %. However, when the heat is transferred through the external wall, influence of the rotation results in adverse effect. This study can guide the design of innovative high performance latent heat thermal energy storage system containing rotation unit.

Thermal performance of polymer gyroid heat exchangers combined with phase change materials as a latent heat thermal energy storage system: An experimental investigation

Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems utilizing phase-change materials (PCMs) in conjunction with heat exchangers (HXs) have been widely investigated for efficient thermal energy utilization. This study experimentally evaluated the heat transfer performance and pressure loss of a PCM-based gyroid HX fabricated using a polymer 3D printer. Initially, the study compared the phase change time, heat storage and release characteristics, and pressure drop of the gyroid HX with those of a conventional shell-and-tube HX (S&T HX). The results demonstrate that the gyroid HX achieved up to 20 % shorter thermal charge and discharge times than the S&T HX, which is attributed to a higher heat transfer rate. Additionally, the measured pressure drop of the gyroid HX was up to 44 % lower than that of the S&T HX. Consequently, considering both the heat transfer rate and pressure drop, the gyroid HX showed an average improvement of 57 % and 31 % in the overall enhancement factor during charging and discharging, respectively, compared to the S&T HX. Further, metal gyroid HXs fabricated from steel and aluminum using metal 3D printing were experimentally compared with the polymer gyroid HX. Despite the polymer thermal conductivity being only 1/90 and 1/790 that of steel and aluminum, respectively, the heat transfer rate per unit mass of the polymer gyroid HX was 1.7 times that of the steel gyroid HX and approximately half that of the aluminum gyroid HX. This finding suggests that the polymer gyroid HX is suitable for LHTES applications where lightweight characteristics are crucial.

Influences of the number and length of longitudinal fins on the single and cyclic charging and discharging performance of vertical double-tube latent heat storage systems

Using longitudinal fins is one of the efficient ways to enhance the heat transfer performance in phase change materials (PCM) based latent heat thermal energy storage systems. However, the previous studies do not consider the influence of the fins' geometric parameters on the single and cyclic charging and discharging performance and thermal effectiveness of latent heat storage systems. This paper, thus, aims to fill the research gap by developing a three-dimensional numerical model to study the effects of the fin number (i.e., 2, 4, 6, and 8) and fin length (i.e., 11.25, 17.00, and 22.00 mm) on the PCM melting/solidification characteristics and evaluate the performance and thermal effectiveness of the vertical double-tube latent heat storage system using the enthalpy-porosity method. Paraffin wax (RT-55) is used as the PCM, and water is the heat transfer fluid. The results show that increasing the fin number to eight reduces the melting, solidification, and total cycle time by 58.0%, 61.4%, and 59.8%, respectively, while the number of daily complete melting and solidification cycles increases by 150.0%, compared with the base case (i.e., without fins). The eight-fin storage system increases the daily charging capacity, thermal energy storage, thermal energy storage rate, and average effectiveness during melting by 146.0%, 133.8%, 123.5%, and 109.0%, respectively; while during solidification, the discharging rate, the daily discharging capacity, and average effectiveness increase by 159.9%, 149.3%, and 176.2%, respectively, compared with the base case. Increasing the fin length to 22.00 mm reduces the melting, solidification, and total cycle time by 80.3%, 81.3%, and 80.8%, respectively, while the number of daily complete melting and solidification cycles increases by 418.0%, compared with the base case. The highest fin length increases the daily charging capacity, thermal energy storage, thermal energy storage rate, and average effectiveness during melting by 370.0%, 350.0%, 330.0%, and 210.0%, respectively; during solidification, the discharging rate, the daily discharging capacity, and the average effectiveness increase by 420.0%, 410.0%, and 470.0%, respectively, compared with the base case.

A comparative study of latent heat thermal energy storage (LTES) system using cylindrical and elliptical tubes in a staggered tube arrangement

Numerical analysis was performed to compare the thermal and hydraulic performance of the elliptical and circular tube geometries in the prototype-scale latent heat thermal energy storage (LTES) system. A staggered tube array configuration was used for the analysis where the tubes were placed horizontally. Commercial grade hexahydrate calcium chloride (CC6) was selected as a phase change material (PCM) due to its phase change occurring at room temperature. The study included a numerical analysis of the melting and solidification processes of the PCM within the tube array for both tube shapes, employing transient two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations and a Realizable k-ɛ turbulence model to predict fluid flow and heat transfer. The enthalpy-porosity technique was used to model PCM melting and solidification. Numerical predictions indicate that the thermal performance for both tube shapes is almost indistinguishable during the melting and freezing processes. However, due to the aerodynamic shape of the elliptical tube, the pressure drop across the horizontal elliptical tube array is approximately 80% lower compared to that of the circular geometry. This reduced pressure drop implies that less pumping power will be required to achieve the desired flow rate across the tube bank, leading to economic advantages for the horizontal elliptical tube array. The proposed design can be used as a dry cooling technique employing an Air Cooled Condenser (ACC) in a thermal power plant.

Experimental demonstration of a dispatchable power-to-power high temperature latent heat storage system

The development of electricity storage solutions is crucial to support the integration of variable renewable electricity sources in electricity systems. This study experimentally characterizes a state-of-the-art full-scale electrical thermal energy storage (ETES) system in outdoor conditions. The system integrates a 600 kWhth high-temperature latent heat storage module and a 13 kWe Stirling engine. The heat storage module uses an 88Al12Si metallic alloy as the phase change material to store electricity converted to thermal energy by a resistive heater in charging mode. The Stirling engine uses hydrogen as the working fluid for re-electrification (discharging). The system uses liquid sodium as the heat transfer fluid between the latent heat storage module and both the charging (electrical heater) and discharging (engine) sub-systems. Over the characterization period, the ETES prototype produced stable electricity at an average rate of 10.5 ± 1 kW for 13 consecutive hours daily with overall and power block first-law efficiencies of 23 % and 25 %, respectively. The effective storage utilization ratio varied between 0.58 and 0.94 depending on the discharge parameters. The response time was <5 s for output power regulation. The results highlight the potential of this latent heat thermal energy storage system to satisfy long-duration electricity storage applications and therefore contribute to the stabilization of electricity grids.

Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Phase Change Material in Mitigation of Heat

The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials (PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy and has the advantages of high-energy storage density and the isothermal nature of the storage process. PCMs have been widely used in latent heat thermal storage systems for heat pumps, solar engineering, and spacecraft thermal control applications. The uses of PCMs for heating and cooling applications for buildings have been investigated within the past decade. There are large numbers of PCMs that melt and solidify at a wide range of temperatures, making them attractive in a number of applications. This paper also summarizes the investigation and analysis of the available thermal energy storage systems incorporating PCMs for use in different applications.

Design optimization on solidification performance of a rotating latent heat thermal energy storage system subject to fluctuating heat source

The combination of latent heat storage (LHS) technology with the Organic Rankine Cycle represents a widely recognized solar thermoelectric conversion means. However, this technology is hindered by the instability of solar energy and the poor thermal conductivity of thermal storage materials. This study addresses the challenges posed by solar energy fluctuations by implementing a sinusoidal heat source condition during the heat release process of LHS system. Furthermore, a comprehensive approach is taken to enhance heat transfer, incorporating both active methods such as rotational conditions, and passive methods using metal nanoparticles and high-performance fins. The Taguchi method is employed to optimize rotation speed, heat source amplitude, and half-period of the latent heat storage unit, and the resulting heat release performance is compared between different structures and the optimized structures. The findings from optimal design analysis reveal that rotation speed has the most significant influence on mean heat discharging rate and solidification time, followed by the heat source amplitude and half-cycle period. There is a notable interaction between heat source amplitude and half-cycle period. Compared to the initial structure, the optimal structure identified through the optimal design shortens the solidification time by 11.18%, increases the mean heat discharging rate by 13.04% and raises the average temperature response by 18.82%. Furthermore, the addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles further enhances heat discharging properties. Specifically, the presence of 2.5% and 5% Al2O3 nanoparticles shortens unit solidification time by 9.52% and 18.83% and increases the mean heat release rate by 7.69% and 17.26%. It is noted that the incorporation of rotating-fit nanoparticles partly compensates for the limitations of increased viscosity and particle settlement associated with metal nanoparticles, although it does not fully address the challenges related to reduced heat storage/release.

Stacked ensemble learning approach for PCM-based double-pipe latent heat thermal energy storage prediction towards flexible building energy

Dynamic performance prediction of the PCM-based double-pipe latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system plays an important role for building peak load shifting. This study presents a stacked ensemble learning framework for the phase change performance prediction of LHTES systems. The proposed model has a two-layer structure involving base and meta models: Regression Tree, Support Vector Regression and Linear Regression. Sensitivity analysis has been utilized for the feature extraction considering possible geometrical and physical parameters of LHTES systems with a fixed PCM volume that can store 0.94 kWh of energy within 255 min. Case studies show that the proposed model outperforms the base models in terms of both prediction accuracy and robustness. Compared with base models, the proposed model has a maximum 7.82% (charging) enhancement in Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) over all-range data sets and a maximum 16.43% enhancement in MAPE for the initial discharging stage, and has more stable predictive results within the high accuracy zone (accuracy > 95%) with a maximum 7.3% (charging) increase in the distribution density over all-range data sets and a maximum interquartile range reduction of 25.6% (middle discharging stage) in Mean Absolute Error. Application of the proposed model achieved more building peak load reduction.

Study of melting behavior of phase change material in a square enclosure with constant and variable heat flux at different wall heating conditions: A numerical approach

Latent heat thermal energy storage system offers the most promising cost-effective solution in thermal energy storage applications like solar water heaters to building air conditioning, textile industries, pharmaceutical industries, etc. In this article, the melting process of phase change material (PCM) in a square enclosure with constant, linearly increasing, linearly decreasing and sinusoidal heat flux on different sides of the wall is studied. The result shows that double-wall heating has the highest melting rate followed by side-wall heating and bottom-wall heating. This happens because double-wall heating increases the heat transfer area. Between side-wall heating and bottom-wall heating with uniform heat flux, side-wall heating gives a higher melting rate due to the higher length of solid–liquid interface promoting the heat transfer to solid PCM, thus increasing the melting rate. Again, for different heat distributions of side-wall heating the linearly decreasing heat flux provides the highest melting rate. This type of heat distribution actually transfers more heat to the lower part of the container, which counters the effect of convection, resulting in an enhanced melting process. On the other hand, in the case of distributions at bottom-wall heating, linearly increasing heat flux shows the highest melting rate. In addition, for linearly increasing heat flux, the shape of the liquid cavity is triangular, which gives more space and thereby intense natural convective circulation. This enhanced convection heat transfer leads to a higher melting rate.