TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis and optimization of melting temperature span for a multiple-PCM latent heat thermal energy storage unit
AU - Ezra, Moran
AU - Kozak, Yoram
AU - Dubovsky, Vadim
AU - Ziskind, Gennady
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was partially supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Israel , in the framework of French–Israeli cooperation in renewable energy.
Funding Information:
This research was also sponsored by the European Union , under Partnership Agreement INNOSTORAGE-PIRSES-GA-2013-610692 (Use of innovative thermal energy storage for marked energy savings and significant lowering of CO 2 emissions).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/1/25
Y1 - 2016/1/25
N2 - The present study deals with a latent heat thermal energy storage unit where an arbitrary number of phase-change materials (PCMs), arranged in a cascade, melt inside the tubes while a heat-transfer fluid flows across the tube bank. A mathematical model is solved numerically, and the effects of different parameters are explored, including the inlet velocity and temperature of the HTF, the number of rows, the number of materials, and the PCMs' melting temperature span. An optimal way is found to attain the shortest melting (charging) time for an entire multiple-PCM unit under given conditions. Generalization of the results is achieved for the optimal choice of uniformly-distributed melting temperatures. Unit behavior beyond optimum melting temperature span is also analyzed, and the overall limits for its improvement are defined. Furthermore, the model is re-defined to include the sensible heat capacity, comparing favorably with experimental results from the literature and demonstrating that the generalized results are applicable in this more realistic case as well.
AB - The present study deals with a latent heat thermal energy storage unit where an arbitrary number of phase-change materials (PCMs), arranged in a cascade, melt inside the tubes while a heat-transfer fluid flows across the tube bank. A mathematical model is solved numerically, and the effects of different parameters are explored, including the inlet velocity and temperature of the HTF, the number of rows, the number of materials, and the PCMs' melting temperature span. An optimal way is found to attain the shortest melting (charging) time for an entire multiple-PCM unit under given conditions. Generalization of the results is achieved for the optimal choice of uniformly-distributed melting temperatures. Unit behavior beyond optimum melting temperature span is also analyzed, and the overall limits for its improvement are defined. Furthermore, the model is re-defined to include the sensible heat capacity, comparing favorably with experimental results from the literature and demonstrating that the generalized results are applicable in this more realistic case as well.
KW - Generalization
KW - Heat storage
KW - Modeling
KW - Multiple PCMs
KW - Parametric investigation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84946091856&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.09.040
DO - 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.09.040
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84946091856
SN - 1359-4311
VL - 93
SP - 315
EP - 329
JO - Applied Thermal Engineering
JF - Applied Thermal Engineering
ER -