Numerical Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Liquid Flow in a Microtube With Blend of Micro Phase Change Materials

This numerical investigation explores the heat transfer characteristics of liquid flow with two-component (blend) micro phase change materials (MPCM) and compares them with those of a single component MPCM slurry. The numerical domain is comprised of an axisymmetric micro-tube in contact with a finite-thickness solid zone and a constant heat flux applied on the solid outer wall. The ultimate objective is to demonstrate the tunability of PCM fluid’s thermal energy properties when the phase transition temperatures of the PCMs are chosen within a range required for a specific application. This is because different pure PCM materials store latent heat at a specific range of temperatures. The MPCM slurry flow does not reach a fully developed condition as long as the MPCM particles experience phase change in the developing region. The local heat transfer coefficient strongly depends on the corresponding location of the melting zone interface.