Numerical investigation of sustainable thermal energy storage (TES) system for personal helmet cooling

Abstract

The present work investigates the potential of PCM in a compact and portable TES, known as a PCM packet, to design a helmet for supplying cool air around the head and face. Two different PCMs, namely RT27 and Capric acid, have been chosen, and their performance comparison was evaluated using a developed numerical model. The present work analyzes the effect of PCM-packet orientation, melting temperature range, thermal storage capacity, and optimum configuration. The current model validates experimental results. The results reveal that the melting front propagation is sensitive to packet orientation, and at a particular instant, RT27 has shown a maximum liquid fraction compared to Capric acid. RT27 and Capric acid encapsulated systems held horizontally obtained melting times of 150 min and 175 min, respectively. The air outlet temperature was significantly reduced with the RT27 PCM-packet in the horizontal case since the air inlet boundary condition closely matches the PCM's melting temperature. Moreover, the designer can choose the orientation and design the PCM packet according to outdoor climate conditions.

Keywords

• PCM-packet
• Orientation
• Latent heat storage capacity
• Natural convection
• CFD