Melting/solidification of phase change material in a multi-tube heat exchanger in the presence of metal foam: effect of the geometrical configuration of tubes

Atef Chibani; Aissa Dehane; Slimane Merouani; Cherif Bougriou; Djemaa Guerraiche

Energy Storage and Saving (Dec 2022)

Melting/solidification of phase change material in a multi-tube heat exchanger in the presence of metal foam: effect of the geometrical configuration of tubes

Atef Chibani,
Aissa Dehane,
Slimane Merouani,
Cherif Bougriou,
Djemaa Guerraiche

Affiliations

Atef Chibani: Laboratory of Environmental Process Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Process Engineering, University Salah Boubnider Constantine 3, Constantine, 25000, Algeria; Faculty of Sciences and Applied Sciences, Department of Process Engineering, Larbi Ben M'hidi University, Oum El Bouaghi, 04000, Algeria; Corresponding author.
Aissa Dehane: Laboratory of Environmental Process Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Process Engineering, University Salah Boubnider Constantine 3, Constantine, 25000, Algeria
Slimane Merouani: Laboratory of Environmental Process Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Process Engineering, University Salah Boubnider Constantine 3, Constantine, 25000, Algeria
Cherif Bougriou: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Mostefa Ben Boulaid, Batna 2, Batna, 05000, Algeria
Djemaa Guerraiche: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Mostefa Ben Boulaid, Batna 2, Batna, 05000, Algeria; Applied Energy Physics Laboratory (LPEA), Physical Department, Faculty of Matter Sciences, University of Batna 1, Batna, 05000, Algeria

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 1, no. 4
pp. 241 – 258

Abstract

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One of the likely methods for enhancing heat transfer in a latent thermal energy storage system is the conception of a thermal unit. In this study, the orientation of oval tubes (horizontal, vertical, and oblique) in phase change material (PCM, C19-C20)-based shell-tube heat exchanger was analyzed with respect to the metal foam (MF) type (graphite, copper, and nickel) in comparison to the case of pure PCM. For this purpose, a two-dimensional mathematical model was developed to investigate the thermal efficiency of the PCM-metal foam based composite energy storage unit. It was concluded that the orientation of the oval tubes (oblique, horizontal, and vertical) has a negligible impact on the performance of the thermal unit during the melting/solidification processes. Based on the liquid/solid fraction, total enthalpy and the average temperature in the annular space, the performance of a heat exchanger during fusion/solidification periods is in the order: copper-MF > graphite-MF > nickel-MF > pure PCM. Whatever the adopted MF or the geometry of tubes, the melting process is expedited compared to the solidification mechanism.

Published in Energy Storage and Saving

ISSN: 2772-6835 (Online)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology: Mechanical engineering and machinery: Energy conservation
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/energy-storage-and-saving/

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