Solar thermal energy storage using latent heat : discharging energy from phase change material

Year 2017, Volume: 4 Issue: 3, 37 - 45, 28.09.2017

Nordine Kerroumi

Abstract

The amount of solar thermal energy on the earth
is not constant; it depends on weather conditions and location. To resolve the mismatch between energy supply and
energy demand in solar thermal systems, the useful solutions is to store
this solar thermal energy using phase change materials (latent heat) named PCM.
In this paper, we studied numerically the discharging and charged energy from
and to PCM. To improve the conjugate heat transfer between the heat transfer
fluid (water) and the PCM at liquid state, we simulate the influence of the
addition of fins to our storage unit with various configurations including online
and staggered fins. Then we studied the effect of the inlet fluid flow and the
fluid inlet temperature on the total PCM freezing time and the effect of the
natural convection in our storage unit. Furthermore, we valid an experimental
work.

In addition, we used the computational fluid
dynamic ansysFluent 15 based on enthalpy formulation to solve the formulation,
where we develop three users define to describe the viscosity, density and the
thermal conductivity of the PCM.  

Keywords

PCM, solar thermal energy, freezing time, AnsysFluent, fins

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