Case Studies in Thermal Engineering (Dec 2021)
Investigation and optimization of PCM melting with nanoparticle in a multi-tube thermal energy storage system
Abstract
In this work numerically, the efficacy of dispersion of copper-oxide-nanoparticles (CuO) with different volume fractions on the melting performance of paraffin RT82 as phase-change-material (PCM) in a multi-tube heat exchanger have been discussed. The efficacy of nanoparticle combination on the flow structure and heat transfer attributes at various steps of the PCM melting process were analyzed and evaluated. Attaining a minimum melting time is regarded as the purpose of the optimization procedure. The melting time is considered for the whole volume fraction of the nanoparticles and the entrance temperature of the heat-transfer-fluid. The results demonstrate that the dispersion of CuO nanoparticles with a volumetric fraction of 3–7% will save the total melting time between 8.07% and 22.18%. The results also show that although the addition of nanoparticles in the primary stages of the melting process is not very effective, the melting rate increases over time and or increases the volume fraction. It can also understand from the outcomes with an increment in the number of internal tubes, the melting speed is increased to 11.74%. Also, the results show that increasing the distance between the tubes will increase the melting time between 15.36% and 20.57%, and more time will need to melt NanoPCM.
