Modeling a Phase Change Thermal Storage Device

Author(s):  
Robert Rhodes ◽  
Trevor Moeller

A numerical model of a rapid response phase change heat exchange module has been developed and challenged with experimental data taken on a flow bench with multiple temperatures and flow rates for two different phase change thermal storage devices (PTSDs). The model requires an a priori knowledge of an effective overall heat transfer coefficient. A single test was used to establish a value for an effective overall heat transfer coefficient. With this information the model will predict the power removed from a fluid being cooled to closer than 15% of the peak power and the temperature of the fluid exiting the device to within 2 °C over the entire fluid discharge temperature range. This model, developed for potential use in feedback control algorithms, requires a real-time execution speed, and this goal has been achieved with a desktop quad-core computer (four times faster than real time). While 3D models with millions of cells can provide greater resolution, the large computational resources and run times required for these simulations precludes their use as a part of feedback control algorithms.

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 01001
Author(s):  
Hansol Lim ◽  
Hye-Jin Cho ◽  
Seong-Yong Cheon ◽  
Soo-Jin Lee ◽  
Jae-Weon Jeong

A phase change material based radiant cooling panel with thermoelectric module (PCM-TERCP) is proposed in this study. It consists of two aluminium panels, and phase change materials (PCMs) sandwiched between the two panels. Thermoelectric modules (TEMs) are attached to one of the aluminium panels, and heat sinks are attached to the top side of TEMs. PCM-TERCP is a thermal energy storage concept equipment, in which TEMs freeze the PCM during the night whose melting temperature is 16○C. Therefore, the radiant cooling panel can maintain a surface temperature of 16◦C without the operation of TEM during the day. Furthermore, it is necessary to design the PCM-TERCP in a way that it can maintain the panel surface temperature during the targeted operating time. Therefore, the numerical model was developed using finite difference method to evaluate the thermal behaviour of PCM-TERCP. Experiments were also conducted to validate the performance of the developed model. Using the developed model, the possible operation time was investigated to determine the overall heat transfer coefficient required between radiant cooling panel and TEM. Consequently, the results showed that a overall heat transfer coefficient of 394 W/m2K is required to maintain the surface temperature between 16○C to 18○C for a 3 hours operation.


Author(s):  
Sergio Escobar ◽  
Jorge E. Gonza´lez ◽  
Adam Wong ◽  
Mark Aschheim

A method is presented to determine energy performance of residential buildings. The method is based on an extended application of the degree-days basis to determine building thermal performance. The overall heat transfer coefficient and radiation shading factors are extracted from nightime and daytime readings of indoor and outdoor temperatures, solar radiation, and total energy usage of the building. It is shown that the overall heat transfer coefficient (thermal response) UA of the building is linear. Radiation shading factors can be represented as nonlinear functions of time. Application of the method to estimate real-time energy performance and carbon offsets of high performance buildings is discussed. The performance of the building is compared with an equivalent building with standard physical and thermal characteristics.


Author(s):  
Andrea Helmns ◽  
Van P. Carey

In this paper, we investigate sensible and latent heat transfer through heat exchanger matrix structures containing phase change material (PCM) in the interstitial spacing. The heat transfer is driven by a temperature difference between fluid flow passages and the phase change material matrix which experiences sensible heat transfer until it reaches the phase change material fusion point; then it undergoes melting or solidification in order to store, or reject, energy. In prior work, a dimensionless framework was established to model heat transfer in a thermal energy storage (TES) device much like effectiveness-NTU analysis methods for compact heat exchangers. A key difference, however, is that in TES units, the overall heat transfer coefficient, U, within the phase change material matrix varies spatially in the unit and with time during storage or extraction. Determination of a mean U for these processes is a key challenge to applying the effectiveness-NTU analysis to design of a TES unit. This paper assesses and identifies strategies for determining the matrix overall heat transfer coefficient in a TES unit from model predictions or experiments. The sensitivity of the TES energy efficiency to the matrix overall heat transfer coefficient is also explored, and the implications for some typical applications are discussed.


2009 ◽  
Vol 62-64 ◽  
pp. 694-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Akpabio ◽  
I.O. Oboh ◽  
E.O. Aluyor

Shell and tube heat exchangers in their various construction modifications are probably the most widespread and commonly used basic heat exchanger configuration in the process industries. There are many modifications of the basic configuration which can be used to solve special problems. Baffles serve two functions: Most importantly, they support the tubes in the proper position during assembly and operation and prevent vibration of the tubes caused by flow-induced eddies, and secondly, they guide the shell-side flow back and forth across the tube field, increasing the velocity and the heat transfer coefficient. The objective of this paper is to find the baffle spacing at fixed baffle cut that will give us the optimal values for the overall heat transfer coefficient. To do this Microsoft Excel 2003 package was employed. The results obtained from previous studies showed that to obtain optimal values for the overall heat transfer coefficient for the shell and tube heat exchangers a baffle cut of 20 to 25 percent of the diameter is common and the maximum spacing depends on how much support the tubes need. This was used to validate the results obtained from this study.


2014 ◽  
Vol 592-594 ◽  
pp. 922-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devasenan Madhesh ◽  
S. Kalaiselvam

Analysis of heat transfer behaviour of hybrid nanofluid (HyNF) flow through the tubular heat exchanger was experimentally investigated. In this analysis the effects of thermal characteristics of forced convection, Nusselt number, Peclet number, and overall heat transfer coefficient were investigated.The nanofluid was prepared by dispersing the copper-titania hybrid nanocomposite (HyNC) in the water. The experiments were performed for various nanoparticle volume concentrations addition in the base fluid from the range of 0.1% to 1.0%. The experimental results show that the overall heat transfer coefficient was found to increases maximum by 30.4%, up to 0.7% volume concentration of HyNC.


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