A twisted-fin array as an innovative structure for intensifying the charging response of a phase-change material (PCM) within a shell-and-tube storage system is introduced in this work. A three-dimensional model describing the thermal management with charging phase change process in PCM was developed and numerically analyzed by the enthalpy-porosity method using commercial CFD software. Efficacy of the proposed structure of fins for performing better heat communication between the active heating surface and the adjacent layers of PCM was verified via comparing with conventional longitudinal fins within the same design limitations of fin material and volume usage. Optimization of the fin geometric parameters including the pitch, numb
... Show MoreThe present work describes numerical and experimental investigation of the heat transfer characteristics in a plate-fin, having built-in piezoelectric actuator mounted on the base plate (substrate). The geometrical configuration considered in the present work is representative of a single element of the plate-fin and triple fins. Air is taken as the working fluid. A performance data for a single rectangular fin and triple fins are provided for different frequency levels (5, 30 and
50HZ) , different input power (5,10,20,30,40 and 50W) and different inlet velocity (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6m/s) for the single rectangular fin and triple fins with and without oscillation. The investigation was also performed with different geometrical fin
This numerical study explores dynamic melting as an enhancement strategy to improve heat transfer in thermal energy storage (TES) systems utilizing phase change materials (PCM) with openings. Optimizing such systems is crucial for advancing renewable energy storage and integration. A 3D model simulates RT35 PCM flowing through a shell-and-tube heat exchanger annulus. The effects of varying PCM inlet slot diameter (2.5–7.5 mm), inlet pressure (1–40 Pa), and inlet/outlet port positioning on melting fraction and temperature distributions are computationally evaluated. Results show that increasing slot diameter from 2.5 mm to 7.5 mm reduces melting time by 13.6 % (from 550 to 475 min). Raising inlet pressure from 10 Pa to 40 Pa cuts melting
... Show MorePhase change materials are known to be good in use in latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems, but one of their drawbacks is the slow melting and solidification processes. So that, in this work, enhancing heat transfer of phase change material is studied experimentally for in charging and discharging processes by the addition of high thermal conductive material such as copper in the form of brushes, which were added in both PCM and air sides. The additions of brushes have been carried out with different void fractions (97%, 94% and 90%) and the effect of four different air velocities was tested. The results indicate that the minimum brush void fraction gave the maximum heat transfer in PCM and reduced the time
... Show MoreThe enhancement of heat exchanger performance was investigated using dimpled tubes tested at different Reynolds numbers, in the present work four types of dimpled tubes with a specified configuration manufactured, tested and then compared performance with the smooth tube and other passive techniques performance. Two dimpled arrangements along the tube were investigated, these are inline and staggered at constant pitch ratio X/d=4, the test results showed that Nusselts number (heat transfer) of the staggered array is higher than the inline array by 13%. The effect of different depths of the dimple (14.5 mm and 18.5 mm) has been also investigated; a tube with large dimple diameter enhanced the Nusselts number by about 25% for the ran
... Show MoreIn this paper a comparison of the experimental of evacuated tube solar water heater systems with and without mirror flat reflector. The aim of using the reflector to improve thermal efficiency, and the data gathered which are (temperature, solar irradiation and time) for three days were compared. the results from compared data the temperature lower increase in evacuated tube solar water heater system without reflector than the temperature increase in evacuated tube solar water heater system with reflector .The results show (53, 39, 35) % for three days respectively that the evacuated tube solar water heater system with reflector has higher thermal efficiencies than the results (47, 28, 30) % for three days respectively thermal efficiencies
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