INVESTIGATION OF CLOSE-CONTACT MELTING OF PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL ON ASYMMETRIC SURFACES

Phase change materials (PCM) are widely investigated for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) due to their ability to absorb and release large amounts of thermal energy during solid-liquid phase transitions. However, the low thermal conductivity of PCMs can make it challenging to achieve efficient storage of thermal energy, due to limited time periods. Close-contact melting (CCM) is a known approach to enhance the melting of PCM, but little is known about the behavior of CCM on inclined asymmetric hot surfaces, which may occur inside LHTES storage units. In this study, we investigate CCM of PCM on asymmetric surfaces using a newly designed and built experimental device. Two experiments were performed at different orientations to reveal the melting rate dependence on orientation. The results provide insights into the melting dynamics of PCMs in the device and may inform the design of LHTES systems for improved thermal energy storage. In addition, the experimental results were compared to a typical simulation done with a commercial CFD tool, ANSYS Fluent. The comparison highlights the need for new simulation tools to accurately model the general macro-scale melting problems, including CCM on asymmetric surfaces. This ongoing study has implications for the design of LHTES systems for practical applications.