Phase change material thermal response under simultaneous charging and discharging process in an annular finned storage system with orientations: An experimental study
Sandip Khobragade, Jaya Krishna Devanuri
Abstract
Because of the sporadic supply of solar radiation and the need for uninterrupted energy, latent heat storage systems based on phase change materials (PCMs) can be a prominent method. A storage system that can simultaneously store and discharge thermal energy can meet the requirement. Therefore, a simultaneous charging and discharging (SCD) based latent heat storage system is considered for the study. Due to the low thermal conductivity of PCM circular fins have been considered for heat transfer augmentation. The effect of latent heat storage system (LHSS) inclination on temperature distribution, melt profile, average temperature, energy stored, exergy, and effectiveness are examined. The study revealed that the natural convection significantly influenced the thermal transport and differed corresponding to the inclination. The melting time is noted to be higher for the vertical unit and decreased with the decrease of inclination. The maximum energy storage (250 kJ), exergy efficiency (12.8%), and effectiveness (0.61) are obtained for horizontal configuration. The energy storage and exergy efficiency obtained for the horizontal position are 24.7 % and 32.36 % higher than the vertical configuration.