Numerical simulation of the melting of solid paraffin in a solar water heater and the effect of the number of fins and the height of the fins

Yinling Wang; Navid Nasajpour-Esfahani; As'ad Alizadeh; Ghassan Fadhil Smaisim; Azher M. Abed; Salema K. Hadrawi; Ali Hashemi; Maboud Hekmatifar

Case Studies in Thermal Engineering (Jan 2023)

Numerical simulation of the melting of solid paraffin in a solar water heater and the effect of the number of fins and the height of the fins

Yinling Wang,
Navid Nasajpour-Esfahani,
As'ad Alizadeh,
Ghassan Fadhil Smaisim,
Azher M. Abed,
Salema K. Hadrawi,
Ali Hashemi,
Maboud Hekmatifar

Affiliations

Yinling Wang: College of Energy Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, 463000, Henan Province, China; Corresponding author.
Navid Nasajpour-Esfahani: College of Energy Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, 463000, Henan Province, China; Department of Material Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, USA; Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Cihan University-Erbil, Erbil, Iraq; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Iraq; Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Research Unit NAMRU, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Iraq; Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Techniques Engineering Department, Al-Mustaqbal University College, Babylon, 51001, Iraq; Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Technical Engineering Department, College of Technical Engineering, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq; Computer Engineering Department, Imam Reza University, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khomeinishahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khomeinishahr, Iran
As'ad Alizadeh: Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Cihan University-Erbil, Erbil, Iraq; Corresponding authors.
Ghassan Fadhil Smaisim: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Iraq; Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Research Unit NAMRU, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Iraq
Azher M. Abed: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Techniques Engineering Department, Al-Mustaqbal University College, Babylon, 51001, Iraq; Corresponding author.
Salema K. Hadrawi: Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Technical Engineering Department, College of Technical Engineering, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq; Computer Engineering Department, Imam Reza University, Mashhad, Iran
Ali Hashemi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran
Maboud Hekmatifar: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khomeinishahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khomeinishahr, Iran; Corresponding authors.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 41
p. 102653

Abstract

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Numerous theoretical and experimental studies were conducted on thermal energy storage utilizing phase change materials (PCMs). This study employs paraffin with particular properties as the PCM in a square solar water heater. Paraffin's melting point (MP) is 55 °C, the flow is transient, and natural convection is responsible for the heat transfer (HT). In this study, the effect of fin geometry, such as height (H) (3, 4, and 5 cm), and the number of fins (NoF) (double and triple), on the performance of the heat exchanger (HE) was investigated. For various parameters, temperature (T) and liquid fraction contours were produced. The results show that, the melting time (MT) for case A (without fins) about 3860 s. Based on the calculations, the reduction of MT for case B (with 3 fins) is 71%. The MT reduction at H=3, 4, and 5 cm equal to 48, 61, and 74% respectively.

Published in Case Studies in Thermal Engineering

ISSN: 2214-157X (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Technology: Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/case-studies-in-thermal-engineering/

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