Numerical Simulation of Thermal Energy Storage using Phase Change Material

TL;DR

This study uses CFD simulations to optimize the design of a thermal energy storage system with phase change material, focusing on geometry and heat source configuration to enhance efficiency and reduce heat loss.

Contribution

It introduces an optimized TES design with fins and specific heat source arrangements, demonstrating improved performance over other configurations.

Findings

Finned models outperform non-finned ones in heat transfer.

Model 4 with three heat sources offers optimal charging performance.

Model 5 shows less effective charging times.

Abstract

This paper presents a study on the design optimization of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) using a cylindrical cavity and Gallium as a Phase Change Material (PCM). The objective is to improve the time span of charging and discharging, as well as minimize heat loss during storage. Five different models with varying geometries and heat source configurations were designed and analyzed using CFD simulation in ANSYS Fluent. The results indicate that models with fins on the heat source surface outperform those without fins, due to increased heat transfer surface area. Comparing the models, Model 4 with three heat sources performs similarly to Model 2 with four heat sources, suggesting an optimal design. However, Model 5 demonstrates less desirable results as the charging time of the PCM increases. Overall, this study highlights the effectiveness of the optimized design in Model 4 with three heat sources for efficient Thermal Energy Storage.